Road Cycling Essentials

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So I recently bought a bike to commute to work (Dawes Discovery 201 hybrid) but the rear derailleur snapped on the way in this morning. Knowing practically nothing about bikes except how to change a tire would this be something I could easily replace myself without specialist tools or would I be better off taking it to a bike shop? I'm trying to o it as cheaply as possible.
 
grudas said:
yeah the park is like 0.3 miles away from my house :D im surprised that i haven't seen you before.. black specialized if im not mistaken?
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I'm on a Trek Domane now :)

Reason we may not have come across each other so far is that I have shamefully avoided getting on my bike in the current weather. Come spring/summer/autmn you're much more likely to spot me! :p
 
chanjy said:
I'm on a Trek Domane now :)

Reason we may not have come across each other so far is that I have shamefully avoided getting on my bike in the current weather. Come spring/summer/autmn you're much more likely to spot me! :p
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ohhh weak! :D man up and do it ;D it isn't as bad as it might look at first :D
 
Krono5 said:
So I recently bought a bike to commute to work (Dawes Discovery 201 hybrid) but the rear derailleur snapped on the way in this morning. Knowing practically nothing about bikes except how to change a tire would this be something I could easily replace myself without specialist tools or would I be better off taking it to a bike shop? I'm trying to o it as cheaply as possible.
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Parts wise you'll need a new derailleur and probably a derailleur hanger if that broke as well. Tools wise I'm not sure how a derailleur fixes on, but it'll be some combo of Allen keys and screwdrivers. You'll also need a chain tool to split and reattach the chain. You may also need a replacement link for the chain, but it depends on your chain and whether you have a removable link.

Once you've changed the derailleur you'll also need to readjust the gears and re-index them. It's do-able if you follow a guide, or you may have a friend who can help.

However, if you're in need of parts, tools and expertise then yeah, bike shop may be the way to go.
 
Krono5 said:
So I recently bought a bike to commute to work (Dawes Discovery 201 hybrid) but the rear derailleur snapped on the way in this morning. Knowing practically nothing about bikes except how to change a tire would this be something I could easily replace myself without specialist tools or would I be better off taking it to a bike shop? I'm trying to o it as cheaply as possible.
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Can you get some pictures of it?
It's unusual for the derailleur itself to snap, could it maybe be the hanger that has broken? (the hanger is the silver metal thing in this image, the derailleur bolts on one end and the other end attaches to the frame.)
 
Need some help with shoes. I've got wide feet (size 10) and my current shimano shoes give me numb feet.

Are there any road shoes out there that cater for wide feet?
 
Krono5 said:
So I recently bought a bike to commute to work (Dawes Discovery 201 hybrid) but the rear derailleur snapped on the way in this morning. Knowing practically nothing about bikes except how to change a tire would this be something I could easily replace myself without specialist tools or would I be better off taking it to a bike shop? I'm trying to o it as cheaply as possible.
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where do you live? maybe one of us is close and could help?
 
I was just recollecting, and I did my first 100 mile ride in March 1976. 13 and three quarters, CTC, Worcester Branch. I left the club aged 14 after disgracing myself in 1977 in Crickhowell on occassion of QEII's jubilee, and throwing up in the youth hostel after trying to drink with the Boyos. Tokk up racing afterwards, and then stopped when I went to sea in 1980. Finally aged 50 back into it, but I am crap. My longest ride is 40 miles, with 1,000m altitude gain. I couldn't do a 100 mile ride now if my life depended on it.
 
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nydryl said:
How good a price is this? After recommendation I'm possibly looking to upgrade my wheels from Rigid Novas. Would these be (significantly) better?
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I'd like a little more information about these too - thinking about replacing my shimano RS10s at some point... The braking surfaces are worn nearly to the wear indicator and they're not worth rebuilding with a new rim.
 
nydryl said:
How good a price is this? After recommendation I'm possibly looking to upgrade my wheels from Rigid Novas. Would these be (significantly) better?
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I have no idea about your wheelset but I doubt any "upgrade" for a complete wheelset under £100 is going to be particularly remarkable.

If you're on a tight budget, need to replace some wheels or wan't something for training on however then it's pretty good value.
 
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