Road Cycling Essentials

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lol.. whole post... Carbon splinters won't be too comfy either though mate ;)

it would need to be quite a big bump for it to through lycra, pad and shorts lol... I see what you guys mean but plastic can't be much stronger than carbon anyway :o we'll see, ordered.
 
Chinese carbon seat and 8.99 shorts. Grudas what have your nuts ever done to deserve this lol :p

That being said i would trust a 17 pound saddle before a 400 pound set of clinchers, based on the potential for catastrophic failure inherent in each component :)
 
Chinese carbon seat and 8.99 shorts. Grudas what have your nuts ever done to deserve this lol :p

That being said i would trust a 17 pound saddle before a 400 pound set of clinchers, based on the potential for catastrophic failure inherent in each component :)

iron balls lol.

seems like most of the stuff is produced in china anyway it's just that I guess the QC is different for products that get shipped all over the world and sold with big brand names on them..
 
My deltoid muscles are sore today. I've not really had that before. I think I must have really been wrestling with my bike on some of the climbs last night.
 
well I kinda want to believe that it would flex and as long as your sit bones are on the right parts it should be fine? road saddles have little to no padding anyway?

It might feel better to touch with faux leather etc wrapped on top but comfortability wise it can't be much different to that.????
My Brooks only goes on in the summer and it only goes out if the weather is dry. The rest of the time I ride a solid plastic saddle from the 70's, a Sportex A40 and, before that, a Royal GT. Both of those are hard to the touch with almost no give, quite similar in shape to the Brooks but the top is plastic instead of leather. Basically, as long as it's the right shape, you can ride it and be comfortable.
 
it's worth a shot.. it might be a big waste of money or a bargain of the year ;) we'll see.. it's £17 at the end of the day.
 
Does anyone recommend a particular brand/type of bar tape? Came off last Thursday and mangled most of mine :/

I don't wear gel gloves when cycling, so this tape was perfect as my first tape change:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fizik/performance-tacky-bar-tape-ec051654

I thoroughly recommend it, fell off bike a couple of times with it, still not marred the sides compared to the factory standard Oval branded tape, which didn't last long.

Nice and thick for long rides too.

Shop around for best price, I spent £15 IIRC.
 
I don't wear gel gloves when cycling, so this tape was perfect as my first tape change:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fizik/performance-tacky-bar-tape-ec051654

I thoroughly recommend it, fell off bike a couple of times with it, still not marred the sides compared to the factory standard Oval branded tape, which didn't last long.

Nice and thick for long rides too.

Shop around for best price, I spent £15 IIRC.

+1 on the Fizik tape too! Had mine on for nearly a year and 5k miles and is still looks and performs like new!
 
Just got my hands on a Carrera Crossfire 1 :)

Crossfire1.jpg


Was looking to get the Crossfire 2, but Halfords only had the smaller frames in stock.
Went out for a ride yesterday and today, absolutely loved it, so much nicer having a bigger frame, I can turn the handlebars without kicking the front tire. :p

Got a few questions though.

I put it together myself, which was a 1st, noticed when I'm in the lower gears, they make a bit of a rattling sound. Now the guys at Halfords said something about tightening the gears when they offered to put it together. Said no because there was a 24 hour wait and I thought it would be a great way to learn.

I need a better seat! I have some cheap baggy, padded shorts, which help, but not a lot. Can anyone recommend a replacement, how much should I be looking to spend? Also, are seats universal?

1 of the main differences I could see between the Crossfire 1 & 2, was that the Crossfire 2 had disc brakes, which is what I think you call them.
Is it worth upgrading to disc brakes, or is it even possible?

Last question, is there any sort of guide on how much pressure should be in a tire?
 
Just to warn you, my Crossfire 1 lasted me less than 6 months.

How much mileage and on what sort of terrain will you be cycling?

The gears on mine always rattled, they sucked.

Do you need a hybrid bike? Could you take it back and put the money towards a proper road bike?
 
Just got my hands on a Carrera Crossfire 1

14.5kg :/

The Crossfire 1 frame and forks will not take disc brakes, so you cannot upgrade to them.

Max tyre pressure will be noted on the sidewall of the tyre.

Gears rattling could mean the derailer needs adjusting, but then again it could be completely normal on a rear mech that costs less than a tenner.
 
I only cycle at the weekends.
Terrain wise, roads and a little bit of off road, country paths etc.

I appreciate the advice on that I may have just bought into a false economy, but it was 1/2 price at the time. And since this is my 1st proper bike in nearly 20 years, I really didn't fancy spending £500+ on something I could just wreck or get bored with. :p
 
I only cycle at the weekends.
Terrain wise, roads and a little bit of off road, country paths etc.

I appreciate the advice on that I may have just bought into a false economy, but it was 1/2 price at the time. And since this is my 1st proper bike in nearly 20 years, I really didn't fancy spending £500+ on something I could just wreck or get bored with. :p

As long as you're riding, it doesn't matter if it's £150 or £1500.

What I find weird is if someone spends ££££ only to park it on displace after a couple of rides. Just go out and enjoy it!
 
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