Road Cycling

[Martynt74]

Annoyingly i've still not fitted the Redshift seatpost. Had planned to do it yesterday when i was recceing the 100km route of the Iron Gravel. However decided it wasn't sensible to try out something which needs various bits of adjusting on a longish and demanding ride.

Set off and for 30km i was cursing myself for turning my mtb into a gravel bike as the terrain was beautiful. Mix of road and some light gravel which would've been easy on my road bike with wider tyres. However i then got past a town in the mountains and hit a section where i had to carry the bike for around 2km, and even then there were lots of sections where my confidence over very rocky terrain isn't good enough so i had to keep stopping and walking sections. Absolutely no chance i'd have wanted my road bike on these bits. Although would've been nicer for carrying since it's around half the weight!
Fell off twice. Luckily once was over the handbars and into a bush which cushioned the fall (albeit causing lots of scratches as it was thorny ). I then got superbly lucky where my front tyre just about stopped right on the edge of a 3ft drop where i think i'd have definitely broken something. Was starting to lose the light a little too which caused a bit of stress but luckily got back to the car without too much fuss.



One thing i've been thinking about. Is there any issue with regular swapping of a seatpost between bikes? The Redshift post will likely live on my mtb/gravel bike. However it'd be nice to also use it on longer road rides. I have a shim to switch between 27.2 and 31.6mm seat tubes so no issues there. Just not sure if there's a lot of stress on the clamps?

 

[Martynt74]

Nope. Just been doing a review. I took the 100km route but because of the time i was starting was conscious of time so cut it down to 60km. I initially thought all i'd done was cut out a few sections so left the route largely as the actual event was. Just looking back at my route vs the actual full route and it seems the section i mentioned above which was absolutely horrific and i was questioning how it was classed as gravel is actually me taking a detour over a mountain

Makes me feel much better about the actual event, as i was starting to question if i wanted to actually go through with it if the 200/360km versions had sections like that which i'd potentially be doing in the dark where i'd end up hiking huge bits. Going to try and do the actual 100km route next weekend i think.

 

[Roady]

Probably the final accident update from me... After getting knocked off 22nd June, claiming against the guys insurance for the bike and getting payout for it 19th July. Any injuries (without involving lawyers etc) have to be done through a central government portal. Speaking to the insurer that couldn't be done until all the Police side of things with the driver was complete (found out later this wasn't correct!) I eventually had that in Sept/Oct - they'd put him on a Driving awareness course (after originally saying it was dangerous driving - I didn't think so, but hey-ho).

Through Officialinjuryclaim.org.uk I filled everything in. It didn't seem to progress. I spoke to insurer again and they said it's the only way - but that lots of people get put off by it so persevere with it. So did it again and somehow got to the point where the 'medical assessment' actually got allocated to a private medical group thing (it gave me a list, I googled the names and chose one called 'Premex' who seemed to have more of a presence than others). I figured as soon as they wanted any money from me, or ending up being a 'no win no fee' I'd just give up.

Eventually got an update after I pursued it again in late October/Nov and ended up with an appointment at a local private medical place mid-December. Very easy and if anything the Doc loaded it with far more injuries and 'assessments' than I'd expected (9 different injuries). Even down as far as scarring on my knees and the mental effects of being timid around cars for a few weeks when back out on the road. Wouldn't have thought to do those myself! Submitted report and I had some weird message back from the Portal and Insurers as it wasn't a Whiplash injury and I was the '3rd party who wasn't in a vehicle' they shouldn't have sent me for it... Weird. Portal seemed to just show it was waiting for a response from Insurer and didn't see one for several weeks so had kinda written off getting anything through.

Spoke to insurers again 30th December, wording was silly and it just meant I had to login and give them permission to see the report as I wasn't an 'insured driver of a vehicle'. It seemed to get processed and another verbal check/confirmation from them I hadn't suffered any whiplash injuries and that I was happy with the report... Logged back into the portal Tuesday and the claim there which had shown £0.00 all the way through had updated to show £2000 had been allocated!

Really quite chuffed with that - at this point it had become a token gesture for me to say I'd claimed something (maybe only expected a few hundred quid) so I had been lax chasing things up. I had been very lucky with my injuries, very lucky with work, fairly lucky with a good equipment/bike payout, I just didn't want it left with just that. I'd read something online where someone had said that doesn't go against government figures that someone was injured if they didn't get injury compensation - especially after what the insurer said about many others failing to get anything through the process!

One thing i've been thinking about. Is there any issue with regular swapping of a seatpost between bikes? The Redshift post will likely live on my mtb/gravel bike. However it'd be nice to also use it on longer road rides. I have a shim to switch between 27.2 and 31.6mm seat tubes so no issues there. Just not sure if there's a lot of stress on the clamps?

There shouldn't be an issue, but realistically how frequently are you going to be swapping it before you get bored and don't bother?

Realistically it'll be the clamps which wear, surface fatigue from the flex, probably the threads of the bolts is going to wear out first. But should be hundreds of uses... But by the time you get that far you might be seeing some frame damage from the flex, or even the pulling the post in & out. You'll have used up litres of fibre-grip paste.

Nope. Just been doing a review. I took the 100km route but because of the time i was starting was conscious of time so cut it down to 60km. I initially thought all i'd done was cut out a few sections so left the route largely as the actual event was. Just looking back at my route vs the actual full route and it seems the section i mentioned above which was absolutely horrific and i was questioning how it was classed as gravel is actually me taking a detour over a mountain

Makes me feel much better about the actual event, as i was starting to question if i wanted to actually go through with it if the 200/360km versions had sections like that which i'd potentially be doing in the dark where i'd end up hiking huge bits. Going to try and do the actual 100km route next weekend i think.

Good to hear it was your routing which ruined things and not theirs! Does beg the question on routing during the event itself... Unless they've got signs at every junction (unlikely), you'll need to be routing yourself along it better than you where! What head unit are you using? Need to do some reading up on how best to have it set up to be following a course which isn't along roads...

 

[Liefrich]

Probably the final accident update from me... After getting knocked off 22nd June, claiming against the guys insurance for the bike and getting payout for it 19th July. Any injuries (without involving lawyers etc) have to be done through a central government portal. Speaking to the insurer that couldn't be done until all the Police side of things with the driver was complete (found out later this wasn't correct!) I eventually had that in Sept/Oct - they'd put him on a Driving awareness course (after originally saying it was dangerous driving - I didn't think so, but hey-ho).

Through Officialinjuryclaim.org.uk I filled everything in. It didn't seem to progress. I spoke to insurer again and they said it's the only way - but that lots of people get put off by it so persevere with it. So did it again and somehow got to the point where the 'medical assessment' actually got allocated to a private medical group thing (it gave me a list, I googled the names and chose one called 'Premex' who seemed to have more of a presence than others). I figured as soon as they wanted any money from me, or ending up being a 'no win no fee' I'd just give up.

Eventually got an update after I pursued it again in late October/Nov and ended up with an appointment at a local private medical place mid-December. Very easy and if anything the Doc loaded it with far more injuries and 'assessments' than I'd expected (9 different injuries). Even down as far as scarring on my knees and the mental effects of being timid around cars for a few weeks when back out on the road. Wouldn't have thought to do those myself! Submitted report and I had some weird message back from the Portal and Insurers as it wasn't a Whiplash injury and I was the '3rd party who wasn't in a vehicle' they shouldn't have sent me for it... Weird. Portal seemed to just show it was waiting for a response from Insurer and didn't see one for several weeks so had kinda written off getting anything through.

Spoke to insurers again 30th December, wording was silly and it just meant I had to login and give them permission to see the report as I wasn't an 'insured driver of a vehicle'. It seemed to get processed and another verbal check/confirmation from them I hadn't suffered any whiplash injuries and that I was happy with the report... Logged back into the portal Tuesday and the claim there which had shown £0.00 all the way through had updated to show £2000 had been allocated!

Really quite chuffed with that - at this point it had become a token gesture for me to say I'd claimed something (maybe only expected a few hundred quid) so I had been lax chasing things up. I had been very lucky with my injuries, very lucky with work, fairly lucky with a good equipment/bike payout, I just didn't want it left with just that. I'd read something online where someone had said that doesn't go against government figures that someone was injured if they didn't get injury compensation - especially after what the insurer said about many others failing to get anything through the process!


There shouldn't be an issue, but realistically how frequently are you going to be swapping it before you get bored and don't bother?

Realistically it'll be the clamps which wear, surface fatigue from the flex, probably the threads of the bolts is going to wear out first. But should be hundreds of uses... But by the time you get that far you might be seeing some frame damage from the flex, or even the pulling the post in & out. You'll have used up litres of fibre-grip paste.


Good to hear it was your routing which ruined things and not theirs! Does beg the question on routing during the event itself... Unless they've got signs at every junction (unlikely), you'll need to be routing yourself along it better than you where! What head unit are you using? Need to do some reading up on how best to have it set up to be following a course which isn't along roads...

Glad to hear you are happy mate. I am aware that the new litigation processes are horrible for lower value cases. As you were a vulnerable road user the Defendant's insurance company shouldn't really have been dealing with you directly. We have an adversarial system and even when liability is accepted their main aim is to keep their overall liability low. They owe you no duty of care so ultimately you would be left not really knowing what your case was “worth”. Nonetheless, all that really matters is that (a) you have recovered well and are back on your bike and (b) you're satisfied with the resolution of the case.

 

[UTmaniac]

Anyone here had a prolonged time away from drop bars, then felt completely beaten up around their upper back and shoulders after their first ride back on drop bars?

First time just over three months yesterday afternoon for a very low effort 90mins and I feel completely beaten up.

No idea if this is specifically a long covid thing, or how I've lost so much strength and supporting my torso on the hoods was a huge shock to the system!

 

[Defy Belief]

You're very out the loop if you think 3k gets you a good top bike like the Propel Adv you had... Which is still a lot of bike for that money...

For me, I'd happily buy what I just got in March & July - as the darn thing is now 1k cheaper again - https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Specialized/Tarmac-SL7-Comp-105-Di2-Road-Bike-2024/11HZM

Spend £1000 on carbon wheels and you basically have a bike very similar to the £8000 SL8 Pro in performance.

BUT, although there's lots of deals on new top road bikes due to inventory everywhere... Not much of that has trickled to Tri bikes. So if you're doing an IM probably better to get a S/H TT bike for it...

Thanks for this this recommendation, think I'm gonna go for the SL7 Comp as sigma sports on my works c2w scheme too.

I won't bother with the wheels unless I can pick up a set second hand or something, the stock ones should be okay for me for now anyway.

If you spot anything in a similar price range that is better spec shout

 

[Martynt74]

Did a recce to the local train station ahead of a work trip later in the week. Glad I did as the initial route strava gave me once again took me over a mountain. An MTBer came flying past as I was walking and then was at the end of the trail fixing a puncture!

Then tried taking me down another route which turned into a rocky path so I turned round at that point.

Plus side being the biggish 8min climb felt decent and knocked 5 mins off my previous effort with still feeling good at the top.

Also first ride in the Assos bibs. Absolutely brilliant and have probably ruined all my other shorts!

 

[Defy Belief]

Anyone have some real world experiences with SRAM Rival eTap AXS that they could share?

 

[Martynt74]

Anyone have some real world experiences with SRAM Rival eTap AXS that they could share?

Not purely Rival, but i have a mix of Rival and Force. Force shifters and deraileurs/brake calipers. Rival cassette and chainring/powermeter

(i think!)

 

[Defy Belief]

Not purely Rival, but i have a mix of Rival and Force. Force shifters and deraileurs/brake calipers. Rival cassette and chainring/powermeter

(i think!)

How do you find it? I've found a nice bike on a seemingly good deal with the Rival eTap and reviews look good for them, just wondering for some real life feedback

 

[Martynt74]

Good to hear it was your routing which ruined things and not theirs! Does beg the question on routing during the event itself... Unless they've got signs at every junction (unlikely), you'll need to be routing yourself along it better than you where! What head unit are you using? Need to do some reading up on how best to have it set up to be following a course which isn't along roads...

It's the Strava route planner which is generally the issue. It seems to love to throw in hugely technical trails when the activity type is "Gravel Ride". I guess it's just a consequence of the type of terrain around here. Some fairly established trails over mountains etc might be quite popular and maybe there are highly skilled local riders who upload routes as gravel and then it gets added into the system as such, when in reality there's no chance they should be classed like that.

Head Unit is a Garmin 1030 Plus and it's generally perfect, it's always the pre planned route which is at fault. I probably just need to spend more time planning the route and then zooming in on satellite views etc to asses the terrain

 

[Martynt74]

How do you find it? I've found a nice bike on a seemingly good deal with the Rival eTap and reviews look good for them, just wondering for some real life feedback

Yeah i'm a fan. I believe the Rival shifters are supposed to be a little smaller (like the current gen Force) but i have relatively big hands so it's never bothered me. I won't pretend i have huge experience of different stuff but having come from the 8000 series Ultegra i much preferred it.
Never had any issues with the pairing with my garmin edge, and the batteries last ages.

 

[Shadowness]

Pump arrived the other day. Feels pretty good, didn't ride in today so will have to wait until I get home to see what it's like.

 

[Junglist]

Turn it on in the middle of the night. I dare you

So that's AliExpress saddles and now pumps I've inflicted onto the forums.

Did I tell you about my AliExpress carbon bottle cages? About 14g each and they were only £16 for the two of them delivered.


(I do not get commission from AE but maybe I should!)

 

[grudas]

Anyone have some real world experiences with SRAM Rival eTap AXS that they could share?

been riding that since getting my new bike in October.

pros;

shifts quick and smooth, front and back
hoods really comfy, shifting config default is good imo
shifter batteries seem to last really well

cons-ish as I overall really like it:

battery could last longer but not too bad, charge it ever 2-3 weeks really. - front and rear derailiour that is.
charger is mini usb which is a bit rubbish as usb-c has been around for ever.

other than that, no complains. Setup, upgrade firmware and it seems to work really well.

have had no chain drop issues either which have been reported before from what I've seen.

 

[AndyCr15]

Did I tell you about my AliExpress carbon bottle cages? About 14g each and they were only £16 for the two of them delivered.

Don't do it. I tried some (I think I paid about £4 for two though... I think I even posted in here asking how on earth can they do this and ship them at that price) but they were so light, they weren't strong enough to hold a bottle if I hit a pothole. Thankfully, potholes are a rarity in the UK.

 

[Martynt74]

cons-ish as I overall really like it:

battery could last longer but not too bad, charge it ever 2-3 weeks really. - front and rear derailiour that is.
charger is mini usb which is a bit rubbish as usb-c has been around for ever.

Good shout on the charger. That is annoying!

Weird on the battery. Mine seem to last months and i often forget about them. That's with ~5hrs riding a week, but i think they're rated around 60hrs

 

[Roady]

No idea if this is specifically a long covid thing, or how I've lost so much strength and supporting my torso on the hoods was a huge shock to the system!

Would think it was more positional - with a weaker/less trained core from being sat up more... So when rotated over into the road position you're weighting your arms/shoulders more. Just lack of time in the position!

Thanks for this this recommendation, think I'm gonna go for the SL7 Comp as sigma sports on my works c2w scheme too.

I won't bother with the wheels unless I can pick up a set second hand or something, the stock ones should be okay for me for now anyway.

If you spot anything in a similar price range that is better spec shout

Haha I'm not looking for more! Although considering if I can find the right frame for the right money at some point to switch out my commuter/winter ride as it's pretty tired...

Yeah the SL7 Comp is a great bike for the money with 105 Di2. Alloy bars & wheels, I switched mine out. The wheels are some of the better ones (DT Swiss R470) - I think they're mostly branded DT, but the hubs are unbranded or Roval, but are DT Swiss internals. DT spokes & rims. Meant to be some of the best budget wheels you can get - but also because so many Specialized bikes come with them they don't hold much value to resell... But they are better than 'Axis' branded wheels from Specialized from the last few years or what come on cheaper bikes in their range. I actually ended up using 1 set for my winter wheels on my other bike as my tires wouldn't fit my older Zipp rims very well. Once they're toast I'll swap back and keep the DT wheels as spares. I sold 2 sets of other 'spare' wheelsets, much older and I got good money for them (probably more than I'd get for the DT's used). Sold the other set to a clubmate unused for £150 for use on his 2020 Roubaix which had Axis wheels and he's really really happy with them. I did have some loose spokes on mine, something to keep an eye on. I actually had it twice, second time taped the spokes to see if it was the same ones and it hasn't happened again.

I've ridden/riding most Shimano 11s mechanical and Di2 (105 & Ultegra level). The 12s 105 Di2 is really good, right up there with 11s Ultegra. I swapped cranks to Ultegra (as was swapping anyway), slight weight saving but really minor. At the time not a huge price difference between them (<£35).

Also first ride in the Assos bibs. Absolutely brilliant and have probably ruined all my other shorts!

Haha yeah good bibs will do that to you! My Millie GT C2 very similar to Rapha Pro Team and Core (Core wider and thicker). I've been meaning to order more when they're on deals... After Whoop let us down!

Anyone have some real world experiences with SRAM Rival eTap AXS that they could share?

No real world, but the people I know on it who also have Shimano on other bikes happily switch between no issues. There certainly used to be enough of a divide where people preferred 1 over the other, but now with AXS that gap must be narrower.

It's the Strava route planner which is generally the issue. It seems to love to throw in hugely technical trails when the activity type is "Gravel Ride". I guess it's just a consequence of the type of terrain around here.

Ah-ha yeah, although crazy considering the popular area you're in - although think you're on the outskirts, would still think lots of gravel riders around you with good popular routes so you wouldn't see as much 'hike a bike'!

 

[Junglist]

Don't do it. I tried some (I think I paid about £4 for two though... I think I even posted in here asking how on earth can they do this and ship them at that price) but they were so light, they weren't strong enough to hold a bottle if I hit a pothole. Thankfully, potholes are a rarity in the UK.

Mine have been pretty solid and hasn't dropped a drink

Now i've said it though I have tempted fate

 

[Shadowness]

Pump arrived the other day. Feels pretty good, didn't ride in today so will have to wait until I get home to see what it's like.

Had a go with this last night. Initial impressions were wow! It's quite loud (actually very loud, to the point it will attract attention, and a simple top up at a club meet will make you stand out a fair bit!).

But my summer bike, which I've not touched for a while for obvious reasons, had fairly low tyres. So gave the pump a go. Oddly it says to start the pump before connecting to the valve (when the tyre isn't 100% flat, not sure why), but it said the tyre was at 43psi. After only about 15 seconds or so it was up to 80psi. And that was that!

I'm going to use it regularly for my winter bike to top up my tubeless tyres, as a reliability test for summer. Not quite sure I have the confidence in it to ditch CO2, and 100% rely on it.......yet.