Road Cycling Essentials

[Russinating]

Long rides are far more challenging and impressive. I'd love to do LEJOG at some point.

 

[godinman]

14.5mph average...

It's a different challenge to hills, I get more enjoyment out of a shortish (50 mile) stupidly hilly ride, than a 100 mile flat one. Still, this looks awesome and rather tempting.

 

[Jono]

Put the pics up Jono!

Will do

 

[Kimi]

Do any of you guys use turbo trainers? im looking to pick one up this month ready for winter.

 

[VeNT]

new tyre new tyre you are so shiny and wonderfull!

after checking over the old tyre there's a 5mm hole though to the weave and even that's looking a bit worn too!
I'll keep it as a just in case but hopefully the new ones going to be ok!
now time for a ride!

 

[godinman]

Tonight is the night we make our first attempt at doing a 20mph 30 mile ride. Am looking forward to it, will be the first proper ride since the c2c, so I *should* be the fittest I've ever been. I think.

 

[George Hincapie]

Do any of you guys use turbo trainers? im looking to pick one up this month ready for winter.

Yes. I use this one.

 

[George Hincapie]

Tonight is the night we make our first attempt at doing a 20mph 30 mile ride. Am looking forward to it, will be the first proper ride since the c2c, so I *should* be the fittest I've ever been. I think.

C2C is a different sort of riding. Endurance rather than speed. Good luck though, 20 MPH average is some going.

 

[godinman]

Darn, that's what I thought. We shall see, we've had 18ish before now I think, shall post up the strava if I manage it.

 

[Jonny69]

As another Steely user has piped up I was wonder if anyones ever had their standby (or main!) steely blasted/resprayed?
if so are you pleased with the results? did you go to someone who just did bikes or anyone who does that kinda stuff?
thinking about having mine re-done after winter for a singlespeed project (may not be a good idea in hilly cornwall!)

I've rubbed down and sprayed quite a few bikes, but I've only taken one back to bare metal and it was a horrible horrible job. Very long, fiddly and messy job and I'd get it blasted in future. I've just had the wheels on my car powdercoated white and the finish is amazing. Powdercoating really has come a long way so I'd recommend it for a bike frame. Example wheel:

I don't like pain. My poor girlfriend

That does sound pretty painful. I don't envy you one bit

 

[Kimi]

Yes. I use this one.

Woah, thats quite expensive.. maybe i should start with a more basic one.

 

[VeNT]

I've rubbed down and sprayed quite a few bikes, but I've only taken one back to bare metal and it was a horrible horrible job. Very long, fiddly and messy job and I'd get it blasted in future. I've just had the wheels on my car powdercoated white and the finish is amazing. Powdercoating really has come a long way so I'd recommend it for a bike frame. Example wheel:

That does sound pretty painful. I don't envy you one bit

yeah I figured powder coat was the way forward
anyone paid to have it done (blasted/painted) and got a ballpark figure?

 

[[DOD]Asprilla]

If you're riding on rougher roads you're actually going to have more rolling resistance at higher tyre pressures due to the vibration

90psi on 24mm tyres on 23mm rims. Vibration? What's that?

 

[rogan]

yeah I figured powder coat was the way forward
anyone paid to have it done (blasted/painted) and got a ballpark figure?

armoutex is about £70 with a clearcoat, plus removal and fitting of headset, unless you can do that yourself

 

[VeNT]

90psi on 24mm tyres on 23mm rims. Vibration? What's that?

Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.
Vibration is occasionally "desirable". For example the motion of a tuning fork, the reed in a woodwind instrument or harmonica, or the cone of a loudspeaker is desirable vibration, necessary for the correct functioning of the various devices.
More often, vibration is undesirable, wasting energy and creating unwanted sound – noise. For example, the vibrational motions of engines, electric motors, or any mechanical device in operation are typically unwanted. Such vibrations can be caused by imbalances in the rotating parts, uneven friction, the meshing of gear teeth, etc. Careful designs usually minimize unwanted vibrations.

I'd say at 90 psi you're more likly to bounce than vibrate

 

[Vonhelmet]

Long rides are far more challenging and impressive. I'd love to do LEJOG at some point.

I'm very seriously planning to do it in about 5 years. I'll be hoping to get a few people together to do it, and may well ask here when the time comes! For now, I want to get fitter and get more used to riding, get some decent kit, start doing longer distances, build up to multi-day tours and then I'll go ahead and do it one summer. My parents will be retired by then and my dad sounded keen on the idea of driving a SAG wagon for me

 

[VeNT]

that's a pretty good time frame to fit it to I'd have thought!
I work with a guy who's done lejog and didn't seem to come off too bad from it but he's been cycling years and does TTs etc locally.

 

[Appelhanns]

Whilst sort of on the subject of crashes, I was hit by a car yesterday and now have two broken wrists (one badly, one not so).

I have just started looking at claims people in case I have to go through them for bike replacement/repairs and wandered if people suggested bike specific companies such as those found in the magazines or any normal one?

Cheers

 

[Vonhelmet]

Other things being equal, I'd probably go for a bike specific one, as they'll know all the particular laws etc related to cyclists without having to faff around.

 

[Jono]

Ouch! Sorry to hear that