Road Cycling

[AndyCr15]

Impressive. When I did Horseshoe Pass, there was an old guy who did at least 3 climbs while I was there, I did wonder if he was Everesting.

 

[gpuerrilla]

Is it to get the sew on badge or something? I did it years back and they mailed you a badge. Definitely didnt spend a day in the saddle up and down the same climb - phew wonder if he got bored!

 

[Martynt74]

Also a mate of mine did this today

https://www.strava.com/activities/5722352827

Madness.

A good way to become a local legend i suppose!

Well i've found a bike. It's a Specialised Tricross from 2012. I'm pretty confident it's not as good a bike as some others i've looked at, but at the same time it's £150 and comes with front and rear mudguards so will do everything i want it to at a fraction of the price i had been looking and more importantly it gets me out on both roads/towpaths so i can get a good feel for what kind of riding i'll end up doing. Then in the future i can buy something better and more focused (so if i always ride on roads i know i can get a pure road bike).

The other benefit is that it's a 62cm frame which should be well suited for me at 6'3. I had looked at a lot of bikes where i was at the very top limit of the frame size purely due to lack of availability.

The only thing confusing me, is that the advert states it's 18 speed which i had assumed would be 2x9, yet the reviews all suggest it's a 27 speed
https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/specialized/tricross-sport-2012

Out of interest, how much work/cost would be involved in changing it to something more modern like a Tiagra/105 2 cog system? Is it a case of used components are also massively inflated at the moment and is it something do-able myself as a beginner.

Then i suppose the bigger question is Is it worth it? Or am i just putting lipstick on a pig and should leave it as it is and then change the whole bike in the future?

 

[Martynt74]

Also as an additional question. I notice that Halfords do a free "Bike MOT". Given the bike i'm buying is old/unknown. Is it worth using that free service or is it just likely to end up as a sales pitch?

 

[gpuerrilla]

Also as an additional question. I notice that Halfords do a free "Bike MOT". Given the bike i'm buying is old/unknown. Is it worth using that free service or is it just likely to end up as a sales pitch?

Not worth as much as it sounds in reality. After speaking to a few halfords employee's and a couple that were in the local bike clubs that had stints in it, if you have not really ridden it much or its sat in the garage they wont be meticulously checking detail other than does it shift gear, do brakes work etc. I think its more of a reassurance thing and most LBS probably do same if they want repeat custom (and would likely have better experience). I did send my first road bike in (Boardman comp 2007?) for it but the fella was honest and said it was running really well (didn't have to check it much) so I would basically not call it a deal maker!

 

[Martynt74]

Cheers, i'll maybe leave it till i've had a few rides and then look for a local shop. As above the one round the corner from my house always seems very expensive when i spoke to him about trying to put something together for me for ~£800 and then proceeded to quote very poor specced old components, but maybe from a service point of view he might be better.

Dammit, i need to stop looking. I was happy at that Specialised bike, but now i've seen a Specialised Synapse from 2020 that can take 32mm tyres so would work, albeit at 5 times the price of the Tricross.

 

[AndyCr15]

I can't remember what the last I posted about my drive chain issues were, but I dropped the bike in with the LBS on Sunday for a service and anything they can do for the transmission, expecting likely just a new chain. They can't get the chainring in time, they only have a 105 cassette (Ultegra 34's on back order to next year, I think they said?!) and they won't do just the chain as 'it will ride even worse than it does now if I don't replace the cassette and chainring'?! So, I asked them to check the brake pads and order the chainring. Next week I'll go back and they can fit the 105, chain and chainring...

I'll take my spare chain on my trip with me, just in case it's so bad it actually breaks. I'll just have to spend as much time in the small ring as I can! I did this on my recent Wales ride and it was okay. (Di2stats.com tells me I'm normally in the big ring for 88.2% of the time, the Wales ride it was only 51.9% )

 

[Martynt74]

Hi All, just wondered if you could assist in making up my mind on 2 bikes which i think i've narrowed it down to and to aim to get something sooner than later.


1 - Cannondale CaadX 105 - £500
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334082413862?hash=item4dc8dd1526:g:3esAAOSwFXZg9Zed


2 - Specialized TriCross - £150
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:689b0ca3-a0ae-4b6b-b4d5-1608f2c4883d



I have pros/cons to both bikes.

The Cannondale is certainly a better bike, it likely has everything i need and i imagine that if i don't use it off road much i could add some thinner road tyres and just use it that way. It's also more local. My main hesitation is that when looked at other similar bikes, the prices seem to vary between £300 and £600. As such it could hamper re-sale value if i decide it's not for me.

The Specialized is a cheap bike, i imagine it'll do what i need it to and get me on the road where i can then spend time working out what i do/don't like and have a better insight into a better bike in the future. It also comes with mudguards fitted which saves some extra money. My issues are mainly around the Tripe chainset and whether the poorer spec would impact on my "enjoyment" and so lead me to not enjoy the experience as much as i might with a better bike. Also the fact it's "sold as seen" suggests there may be issues lurking that i'm not going to pick up on. It's also cheap, very cheap for the bike with others selling for £250 ish and so i'd be unlikly to lose money if i did change my mind. It's also a ~90minute drive each way.



As i mentioned above, i don't think there's a right/wrong answer here, both have positives and negatives and the additional outley on the Cannondale isn't something that's an issue.

Would appreciate peoples thoughts.

 

[Musty Pie]

Caadx would get my vote.

Better resale value if you wanted to sell it on.

(Not checked the link for condition and spec but caadx was a well loved frame release from the Cannondale fans)

I'd it's mechanical discs though I wouldnt be keen on those myself.

 

[Martynt74]

I'd it's mechanical discs though I wouldnt be keen on those myself.

Yeah, i've seen that said in a few places now, however i don't think my budget gets me anything Hydraulic, certainly not that's currently available and it seems a lot of bikes have gone for discs over rim brakes, presumably to accommodate the wider tyres on the CX bikes.

A few things i saw did however seem to suggest that as long as they were dual sided rather than one side being fixed they were generally fine.

 

[Martynt74]

As an additional question (sorry) are chainsets created equally or are they improved over time?

Just wondering whether there are benefits to something like a modern Tiagra vs an older 105/Ultegra or whether the higher spec level is always superior?

Ive now seen a Trek Checkpoint AL2. Another step up in cost but is a 2020 model and has hydraulic disc brakes and a Tiagra group set.

Just wondering whether a 2017 with 105 components would be classed as “better” from that side of things or whether it’d be worse as it’s older.

 

[SoliD]

Modern tiagra chainset will probably be as good as a 6700 ultegra or 5800 105 but as its newer will probably be in better shape.

Managed to drop my garmin on the road tonight on way home from a tt (elastic band snapped) luckily noticed fairly quickly and turned around and found it before it'd got run over by a tractor (harvest season/roads is great fun...) very lucky and not the first time. Thought I had the band wrapped round my bars but obviously not...

 

[Martynt74]

Thanks. There’s a lot to take in and it can be tricky to google as there are many variables.

Think my head says the older cheaper bike. I still think it’s slightly overpriced but not by much vs comparable sales. The upside is it’s a 61cm frame rather than being on the limit of the 58cm Trek. It also gives me more to spend on accessories as I’m starting from scratch.

Other than obviously a helmet. Is there a guide to what I’ll need/nice to have? I looked at pumps but that also seemed to open to a minefield so I’ll dive into that. I do have a high pressure pump for my paddleboard but need to check if it would be enough.

I’m also waiting to hear back about pedals. If they’re just normal peddles. How much is lost through not having clipless shoes? I know you can’t drive on the upstroke so missing out but for someone less casual how important is that?

 

[Martynt74]

I'm back....

Hopefully this should be (almost) the end of my questions. So i bought a bike. As i was finishing work yesterday i saw this pop up https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/257539535914509/?ref=saved&referral_code=null

At £300 it seemed a decent deal , although i accept i'll need to spend a decent chunk to replace that rear rim. From watching some Youtube videos, it seems pretty easy enough to change the disc pads/fluid. I think the selling point was that it came with mudguards, 32mm spare road tyres (which i'd debated switching to anyway due to my expected riding style), bike cages and it has a decent chainset and hydraulic brakes.

I'm just trying to work out what the best option is to replace the rear rim. Does it matter about having matching wheels? Am i better to buy a set of 2 rather than just one. Does it also matter what hub is fitted? I know it needs to match my 11 speed 105, but can this be switched or am i better to buy something with it pre-fitted?

I did see this guy selling a set of Fulcrum wheels for £140. That seems to match most new prices i'm seeing but i presume they're better wheels?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:439d542f-1851-4011-8982-290affb42fae

Or this sale includes discs already fitted (not sure if i can just switch from my existing rims)
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:439d542f-1851-4011-8982-290affb42fae


Alternatively, is the fact i'm asking these questions a suggestion that i'd be better to just go to a bike shop and let them get it road worthy initially and then only mess with it myself when i've got more used to basic maintenance?

 

[Lethal`]

Can I use an R7000 front derailleur with 5800 shifters?

I feel like answer is yes but trying to jog my memory. Mine is playing up big time. Probably due a change (55k miles) rather than trying to fix.

 

[gpuerrilla]

Can I use an R7000 front derailleur with 5800 shifters?

I feel like answer is yes but trying to jog my memory. Mine is playing up big time. Probably due a change (55k miles) rather than trying to fix.

That's a 105 right?

I have used mix of campag and shimano in the past (shimergo) so its likely fine.

 

[Musty Pie]

Can I use an R7000 front derailleur with 5800 shifters?

I feel like answer is yes but trying to jog my memory. Mine is playing up big time. Probably due a change (55k miles) rather than trying to fix.

I'm 99%sure thats the setup I have and works without issue.

 

[#Chri5#]

Can I use an R7000 front derailleur with 5800 shifters?

I feel like answer is yes but trying to jog my memory. Mine is playing up big time. Probably due a change (55k miles) rather than trying to fix.

Looks like it according to the Shimano matrix. ST5800 levers links to an R7000 FD.

 

[Roady]

Thanks Roadie, sling me a trust if you find the tyre and I'll happily sort postage!

I did dig it out, i'll send you a pic now. It's got a bit more wear on it than I thought but has tons of life left and you're welcome to it. It'd likely go in the bin next time I have a sort out of my tyre hook!

All packed and ready for Wales, going to stop in Bristol for a lunch on route, then sleep in Rhayder again before doing the Elan valley ride I did last year.

Me my bro and our friend is tagging along this time for his first proper ride. Can't wait!

Bikes all clean and ready to go, but can't seem to upload an image..

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BGURaMeNTzGYYQjh9

Awesome, have a great trip! Don't thrash your mate too much around the dams! Report back in here what you rode and where - or hit me up if you want any tips/highlights. I've not ridden that direction many times, but driven all around there years ago.

My partner and I went bike hunting for her yesterday. Her cycle-to-work scheme doesn't have as many options as mine does so only had a few shops in Bristol to take advantage of.

Went to Mud-Dock. They said most of the bikes within the budget she wanted would be available JULY 2022!!. But rather than waste the journey they had a Trek Domane SL4 in her size. She hasn't ridden a road bike before so she wanted to make sure she liked the style compared to her hybrid bike...

She instantly fell in love with it and by the time we cycled home she decided she wanted to reserve it. It's a decent bike but I think it's a little bit overpriced considering it's £2345 and only has a Tiagra groupset. It does have a full carbon frame and hydraulic disc breaks so I suppose it's swings and roundabouts. She really likes how it rode on her test ride and most importantly to her, it looks pretty too.

Sadly the same bike with a 105 is £2800 and she originally only wanted to spend £1600 so even stretching to the £2345 was over budget (but affordable, she's just not very frivolous). I'm sure coming from her Specialized Sirus this new bike is going to feel like a rocket ship and the gears will no doubt feel much better than what she currently has.

If in a year or so she decided she wanted 11 speed rather than 10 speed I understand that with the Tiagra if she wanted to upgrade to 105/Ultegra shell need the entire groupset but is that relatively easy to do/pay someone to do?

She really likes the bike and I suspect that is the most important thing I just would hate for her to be hating it in a few months.

That is quite key, getting her hooked for her reasons will mean she just enjoys it more on a bike she likes the look at.

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bikes/road-bikes/trek-domane-sl4-review/

The SL4 is a bit of a high price, but not overly so. The RRP on that review from March 2020 with it priced at £2100. It's likely to be 'old' model so would normally have a bit of a sale price this time of year - but inventory and stocks being low means the opposite is generally happening, so in my mind will be a good machine for that price. For +£500 at that price point - already well over her budget, I'd say stick with Tiagra. Review mentions it as heavy, but they're well regarded frames and that newer design of the Domane makes it quite 'racey' and more similar to the Madones of old... With lots of extra things to make it more endurance based (rear iso is a big highlight). It's unlikely Trek change that frame (other than the colour/components) for the next few years.

You'd easily upgrade the groupset/wheels as time goes on and easily give it a new lease of life - by easily trimming some weight from it's 10kg!

That is absolutely mental, is that the manufacturers RRP?

£2100 in early 2020, currently £2325 on the Trek site but out of stock in most sizes (although a 54cm on there if anyone wants one! That's a normal size!).

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/...d-bikes/domane/domane-sl/domane-sl-4/p/28295/

Also a mate of mine did this today

https://www.strava.com/activities/5722352827

Madness.

Wow the willpower it'd take to everest a .05 mile long climb 122 times is insane. I'd die of boredom!

If I where to do it I'd want something far longer! Drovers do an event to everest Gospel and it's 'only' 11 climbs!

Thanks. There’s a lot to take in and it can be tricky to google as there are many variables.

Think my head says the older cheaper bike. I still think it’s slightly overpriced but not by much vs comparable sales. The upside is it’s a 61cm frame rather than being on the limit of the 58cm Trek. It also gives me more to spend on accessories as I’m starting from scratch.

Other than obviously a helmet. Is there a guide to what I’ll need/nice to have? I looked at pumps but that also seemed to open to a minefield so I’ll dive into that. I do have a high pressure pump for my paddleboard but need to check if it would be enough.

I’m also waiting to hear back about pedals. If they’re just normal peddles. How much is lost through not having clipless shoes? I know you can’t drive on the upstroke so missing out but for someone less casual how important is that?

EDIT: Doh, serves me right for not refreshing! Leaving info here anyway... But I'd go the CaadX, as mentioned here they're a good 'known' brand & frame and likely a quality setup.

Modern Tiagra will be superior to the 'better' old setup. The amount of money you'd have to spend on top of that £150 10+ year old machine to be 'happy' and get something on par to the 105 R7000 on the CaadX you'd easily be spending more. It looks a tidy commuter, but will be slower and heavier than the CaadX.

Bear in mind the cost of components you may spend to get it running well. At least £200 on a crankset, £50 on BB, £150 on shifters, £150 on wheels, £50 on cassette... It all adds up and those are very low estimated values from tracking down likely second hand bargains and doing all the work yourself.

EDIT: But good call with the Arkrose, think there are a few Pinnacle riders in here?! Seem to recall some anyway. Congrats on riding a British brand!

You can ride mismatched wheels if you want, I did it for a few months. At least that way you should be able to save some money just buying a rear. You should be able to find a rear wheel with the same disk fitting (6-bolt or centrelock (CL)) then transfer rotors over. Rotors are expensive to just be buying them for the sake of it when for ~£10-15 price difference on a wheel you could just transfer yours over.

Totally your call about getting a new wheelset instead. I'd say saving cash buy a single rear, swap the rotor over and see how you get on. If you wanted 'new' then buy new wheelset and new rotors.

With the CaadX you get a modern groupset which is unlikely to be well worn, well known mechanical disk brakes (TRP-Spyres), it's got an ok 'known' saddle on it that people love (Charge Spoon), good tyres for the 'maybe' use you have of canals, tons of clearance and mudguard mounts to fit some with any road tyres underneith (if you needed), it is unlikely to have done 20,000+ miles. The Tricross looks tidy but with that age regardless of miles it'll likely need some servicing as looking that tidy it's likely been sat in a garage for many years. Bearings, chains and cables don't like being left to stand for long periods of inactivity, the younger they are the less likely they'll need replacing.

But you've also been through so many bikes in your posts it's hard to know what advice to give. That CaadX and Tricross are two totally different bikes designed for largely different things.

Can I use an R7000 front derailleur with 5800 shifters?

Zero problems, they're made to be comparable and compatible. Same place in Shimano's range, just different generations.

I am riding 'non-series' Shimano 11-speed levers. They came with 105 5800, I then changed to a 6800 RD and R8000 FD, now they're running R8000 FD & RD. Zero issues. Have run on 5800, 6800, R7000 and R8000 cassettes with a mixture of SRAM and Shimano chains.

 

[Martynt74]

Snip

Haha yeah, it doesn't help i guess that i make daily posts as soon as something new pops into my head, and without knowing much about different geometry's etc one bike looks very similar to another in that regard.

Issue i seem to have found with wheelsets is my front is a thru axle and the rear is quick release and most wheelsets are matching (as you'd expect)

I've found a guy locally who has a set of wheels for sale at a reasonable price (£20), he also dropped in that he used to be a bike mechanic so can help me with getting things swapped over. I think i'm going to go with this to get out on the road and then maybe in a few months if i'm getting out often enough i'll look to buy something new that's more "matchy matchy"

Have also ordered this to bleed the brakes, i did check the existing pads and to my eyes there's still a lot of life left in them. The only issue is the front one squeaks terribly. Would a lack of fluid cause that?