Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
Strava is not worth dying for.

Well, yeah, and it's not like I would take a bend on the wrong side of the road if I couldn't see clear across it... ;) I'm not talking a totally blind bend here, it's open grass on the side with just a couple of trees so visibility round the bend is very good.
 
Last edited:
I only got the bike today, so no. Sadly delivery took several weeks.

in that case

if your going to buy cycling shoes, instead of going shoes + over shoes route, just get some Northwave GTX winter boots, waterproof and warm, and saves messing around with overshoes and damaging your normal summer shoes
 
Cheers.

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/ gave me £180 to use.

What should I be going for, bike is used for commuting and weekend stuff.

All I have is the bike and a helmet.

So I need the following I think?
Lights
Lock
Mudguard
Puncture kit
Tool kit
Gel shorts
Other clothing?

Any recommendations at all?

I would consider carrying a spare innertube or maybe 2 if you're prone to punctures because good luck trying to fix a puncture when it's dark and peeing with rain at the side of the road. I personally carry a CO2 pump with me instead of a micropump just because it's takes like seconds to pump the tyre up.

PlanetX is very cheap for things like overshoes/leg warmers/arm warmers not the bestest quality but will last for a time and cheap enough that you won't feel aggrieved throwing it away when it fails.
 
Last edited:
Stopped to help a cyclist with a puncture on my way home last night. He'd left the house with a spare tube but no tyre levers or a pump!
 
What brakes have you got? We can probably tell you whether they'll take cartridge brakes. Post a pic. Is there a little silver screw on the back of where the brake lad is?

could you post a pic of your brakes? I assume you have a road bike, so caliper brakes like 90% of the road bikes, if so cartirges are DEAD easy to replace :)

I'm guessing my cartridges are not changeable (no rear screws/lugs, although there are holes?) but if I were to change to a pad with changeable cartridges I would then be able to in future?

20141015_083506.jpg


Excuse the crud buildup, bane of my white frame! :(

Stopped to help a cyclist with a puncture on my way home last night. He'd left the house with a spare tube but no tyre levers or a pump!

I always try to remember my pump on the weekends (carry it in rucksack when commuting as won't fit in my saddlebag & don't take rucksack out when leisure riding) but don't always remember! One day it's gonna catch me out! ;)
 
Yeah I have a pump in my bag for commuting and a smaller one for jersey pockets when not. Saddle bag with tubes, CO2, tyre levers and multitool is always on the bike so can't forget that!

Had an issue with the summer bike earlier in the year though, was out on my 50mm wheels and got a puncture, had two innertubes on me but neither of them had a long enough valve for the wheel! Luckily one of my friends had a valve extender.
 
I'm guessing my cartridges are not changeable (no rear screws/lugs, although there are holes?) but if I were to change to a pad with changeable cartridges I would then be able to in future?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/66653574/Cycling/20141015_083506.jpg[IMG]

Excuse the crud buildup, bane of my white frame! :([/QUOTE]

A direct replacement would be something like this: [url]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-brake-pads-p453-non-cartridge/[/url]

Alternatively you can get the cartridge type pads like these: [url]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-p422-aluminium-brake-pads/[/url]

And then replace the pads each time with these: [url]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-p422-aluminium-brake-pads/[/url]
 
Last edited:
Yeah I have a pump in my bag for commuting and a smaller one for jersey pockets when not. Saddle bag with tubes, CO2, tyre levers and multitool is always on the bike so can't forget that!

Had an issue with the summer bike earlier in the year though, was out on my 50mm wheels and got a puncture, had two innertubes on me but neither of them had a long enough valve for the wheel! Luckily one of my friends had a valve extender.

I'm the same - try to carry everything I need in my saddle bag - 2 sets of levers, glue, inner tube, multitool, chalk, sandpaper/grater, valve caps, small adjustable spanner, rubber gloves and some chain oil!

I bet you carry valve extenders now ;)

@Roady - you need to buy some cartridge shoes and then you can use cartridge pads. If someone doesn't get there first, I'll dig up a link at lunchtime.

Something like these, I imagine would be ok on my tektro calipers? The three compound pads seem to get good reviews for wet stopping power too... They're out of stock but I don't mind waiting a week or two.

A direct replacement would be something like this: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-brake-pads-p453-non-cartridge/

Alternatively you can get the cartridge type pads like these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-p422-aluminium-brake-pads/

And then replace the pads each time with these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/tektro-p422-aluminium-brake-pads/

Ugly shiny aluminium! Your links are a bit messed up but I appreciate the help, I really had thought pads/calipers/brakes were far more complicated than they actually are... I wrongly assumed different brands (compag/shimano/tektro etc) were not compatible with one another. :)
 
Last edited:
Ugly shiny aluminium! Your links are a bit messed up but I appreciate the help, I really had thought pads/calipers/brakes were far more complicated than they actually are... I wrongly assumed different brands (compag/shimano/tektro etc) were not compatible with one another. :)

Campag brake shoes and inserts dont work with shimano shoes and inserts. Most other brands (tektro, etc) use the shimano system so they are all compatible with each other.
 
Campag brake shoes and inserts dont work with shimano shoes and inserts. Most other brands (tektro, etc) use the shimano system so they are all compatible with each other.

Ahhh ok, so avoid the Compag stuff and I should be ok!

Gonna take my time and get some shoes and inserts so I'm set for the future (can get some nice looking ones!), really need to track down some reviews on pads to choose some midrange ones good for wet/winter use! See many 'Red' pads, does the colour designate a better stopping rubber compound?
 
Ugly shiny aluminium! Your links are a bit messed up but I appreciate the help, I really had thought pads/calipers/brakes were far more complicated than they actually are... I wrongly assumed different brands (compag/shimano/tektro etc) were not compatible with one another. :)

The links are messed up??

I've always been pleased with LifeLine products: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-professional-road-brake-shoes-and-inserts-4-pack/

Have a look around, there are plenty of options for shoes which are not ugly silver coloured.
 
I think I will replace my Tektro ones too, went out today, front one still squeals, bike shop was supposed to fix it, and wet braking ? non-existent! must change I think !

I don't have those Tektro ones pictured above, I have V-Brake setup on mine, not sure what ones I need ?

these

Cannondale20CAADX2010520-20brake_preview_500_zpsb75fe684.jpg
 
Last edited:
I think I will replace my Tektro ones too, went out today, front one still squeals, bike shop was supposed to fix it, and wet braking ? non-existent! must change I think !

Those are cantilever brakes (not vbrakes). Squeal is a feature, not a bug :p
Try koolstop or swissstop brake pads for wet weather performance. I have some koolstop pads on my winter bike and they made quite a difference in the wet over the standard budget pads I had before.
 
That's not a V brake, that's a cantilever brake which is generally considered crap. Good news is that it uses the same mounts as V brakes so you could quite easily replace them.
 
Those are cantilever brakes (not vbrakes). Squeal is a feature, not a bug :p
Try koolstop or swissstop brake pads for wet weather performance. I have some koolstop pads on my winter bike and they made quite a difference in the wet over the standard budget pads I had before.

just about to order from wiggle, can you link me to the ones I need?

Thanks
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom