Road Cycling

Caporegime
Joined
25 Jul 2003
Posts
40,098
Location
FR+UK
So the C2W has finally rolled around and I've got around £1,200 to spend. After a commuter/gravel type road bike. Any recommendations?

I've just seen the Triban grvl which looks decent and I know/like the brand, Ribble have one at the same price, as do specialized. Marin, GT, Fuji, Kona etc, lots of bikes around this price point - assuming they're in stock!
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Got out this morning. Have raised the stem using a ~10mm riser that was above the stem previously. I *think* it's helped to keep my elbows a little more bent and less tensed. Last night i also de-greased and lubed the chain/cassette for the first time.

Given how wet it is around these days, is it something i should be trying to do after most rides or just every now and then? Ride wise i'm generally only out for 10-12 miles at a time.
It's hard to advise as really depends on how 'bad' it is, how your lube behaves in the conditions you're riding in and how much time you have! It is possible to do it too much... But equally I ride with guys who only ride a couple of times a week and they'll likely be doing a full clean, including strip down, degrease and relube on a sunday after riding saturday+sunday along with another in the week.

For me as I'm riding more regularly (commutes) regardless of the weather. So a full clean in the 'bad' weather is something I don't have much time for as it's almost a waste (my bike doesn't have to 'look nice' for me to ride to work - so for me it's more maintenance than cleaning). I'll usually give my chain a wipe down every week or so and then a relube. Usually before a weekend club ride after a week of commuting, where I'll do other weekly maintenance - checking tyres, pressures and gears/indexing so things are all 'good' before my longest outside ride of the week. A clean involving a chain cleaner/degrease is something I'd normally only do when needed, but can sometimes end up doing after a filthy weekend club ride before the commutes if it was a really muddy and gritty one. All depends on how bad it is - I always joke that my drivechain is cleaned 5X more than my frame and it's probably pretty accurate over the winter, as I'll be cleaning/lubing my chain twice a week or more in the worst of it. My frame I 'clean' once a month, or less! The rain washes the worst of it away! :cry:

So the C2W has finally rolled around and I've got around £1,200 to spend. After a commuter/gravel type road bike. Any recommendations?

I've just seen the Triban grvl which looks decent and I know/like the brand, Ribble have one at the same price, as do specialized. Marin, GT, Fuji, Kona etc, lots of bikes around this price point - assuming they're in stock!
I'd go by where you can spend it and what they have in stock for you locally for you to swing a leg over. You might be surprised how little is still actually physically 'available'!
 
Last edited:

fez

fez

Caporegime
Joined
22 Aug 2008
Posts
25,023
Location
Tunbridge Wells
The rest of it was pretty sound advice but would pull you up on this... 5.5k (miles or km?) in good conditions on a well maintained drivechain is really almost nothing.... In poor conditions or poorly maintained it's can be a different matter! ;)

Yeah, I'm coming very much from the world of MTB so that would be a cracking effort for a drivetrain.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2015
Posts
11,091
Location
Bristol
Went for a solo ride on the weekend. I commute to work by myself but I've no idea why I was so worried about going on my own.

Did a 23 mile loop that I've done with friends once before and seemed to basically get PBs everywhere. I would've thought cycling with friends would've been faster as you get to take turns at the front but it seems doing it by myself I was pretty much 20 minutes quicker than I was before.

Tempted to do a few more rides that I've done with friends by myself to see if I can smash some more PBs.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
Posts
14,762
Location
Barnet, London
Did 100km loop yesterday, really enjoyed it. It's a route I've done before but I think maybe only once before and I don't know why I've not done it more often!? Some great lanes and such, helped by the blue skies. A little chilly when I first set out, but once the sun came up, it was almost perfect.
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2015
Posts
11,091
Location
Bristol
I'm working up to my first 65m/100km. I have the route all set out on Komoot but I just need to pluck the courage up and go for it. I can do 45m so I feel if I went with a full stomach and brought the right fuel with me, I'd be able to make it to 65 miles if I pace myself but I need to just man up and get it done.

With the cooler weather coming up, it may be the perfect time to give it a go. That's a long time riding solo though
 
Joined
4 Aug 2007
Posts
21,386
Location
Wilds of suffolk
Question for you guys
Other half just bought a new bike and it appears the rear tubeless hasnt had the sealant added, it doesnt hold air for long.
She spoke to the supplier and they have sent some.

The front I assume must have been done as that is holding air, or is is possible that a tubeless will with luck seal well enough without the sealent and that could be missing it as well?

Any advice on simple way to check?
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
16,984
Location
Shepley
Question for you guys
Other half just bought a new bike and it appears the rear tubeless hasnt had the sealant added, it doesnt hold air for long.
She spoke to the supplier and they have sent some.

The front I assume must have been done as that is holding air, or is is possible that a tubeless will with luck seal well enough without the sealent and that could be missing it as well?

Any advice on simple way to check?

Just deflate the tyre and squeeze the beads together, you’ll soon discover if it’s got sealant in or not.
 
Joined
4 Aug 2007
Posts
21,386
Location
Wilds of suffolk
Just deflate the tyre and squeeze the beads together, you’ll soon discover if it’s got sealant in or not.

So it doesnt "set" it remains runny basically?

I squeezed the back to check it and that definately just looks taped but no sign of anything that looks like sealent
I wasnt sure if it was a good idea to do the same to the front as it seemed to be holding air

Thanks, will give it a go in the light over the weekend, shes going to use her cyclocross tomorrow so no rush
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Yeah, I'm coming very much from the world of MTB so that would be a cracking effort for a drivetrain.
I'm not saying I've had far less than that out of a chain. Think my 'record' was 1200 miles. Utter garbage roads full of mud, grit and road salt over winter!

That is probably sound advice actually; getting something might be tough!
Still lots of shortages, hopefully now the mad rush on bikes is a bit behind us suppliers are recovering, but there's still shortages on components which will likely cause problems still throughout 2022.

Part of me is hoping we see massive price slashes on new frames that where produced in response to the demand, but now suppliers can't build them into bikes to sell as they lack the components... Although that doesn't really help you! ;)

Went for a solo ride on the weekend. I commute to work by myself but I've no idea why I was so worried about going on my own.
Do it! For me riding alone is great for my mental health and general wellbeing. Although most of my riding at the moment is group rides (club or zwifting). I go through so much sometimes zoned out when riding solo I find it really peaceful.

I'm working up to my first 65m/100km. I have the route all set out on Komoot but I just need to pluck the courage up and go for it. I can do 45m so I feel if I went with a full stomach and brought the right fuel with me, I'd be able to make it to 65 miles if I pace myself but I need to just man up and get it done.
Don't make it a 'massive' thing, just tick it off! :)

Ride 35-40 miles often enough it doesn't feel a massive undertaking, then on a convenient/planned day just do 50/55 or even the 65. Treat it the same, don't build it up, take a couple of extra snacks and enjoy it. You're just extending distance/riding time. If you're doing 45mins easily enough it's nothing to just do another 15/30. You likely won't feel any different. Then just do 1hr 45 or straight up to 2 hours. Unless you're absolutely nailing yourself for those 45 minutes, a 1.5 hour ride really shouldn't feel too much different.

Light suggestions please peeps? Where I live is completely unlit roads so need some decent power, but I am not paying Exposure level money! Last time I read here about lights from https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/. Any ideas?
Cateye have always done good affordable lights. I have a couple of the own brand Wiggle (Lifeline) ones on the trailer and for the money they've been good quality. Burntimes starting to suffer a bit now.

I'm a huge Exposure fan and can't imagine using anything else myself now, but did go through several Cateye and Lezyne's before. Would happily get them again. Only Moon (Nebula) I had was rubbish, wouldn't buy again.

So it doesnt "set" it remains runny basically?
Yup, it's basically a liquid carrier solution with bits of rubber in it. Kinda moves around the tyre to do it's job and as it's new there will be more of it pooling than when it gets a bit older and less runny. As it is new you could shake the tyre and maybe hear it sloshing around - but that all depends on how much is in there. Could ask where you got it from, but they may just have forgotten. TL tyres will mount without sealant and many modern setups will hold pressures easily without. Others are a little more leaky as you're finding. But with the tyre mostly holding pressure likely putting sealant into it you'll see a couple more times of it not holding total pressure, then the sealant will do it's job even though technically it's not a puncture. Probably just a bad gap in the tape, valve or a rubber bump on the bead leaking a bit.

Depending on the amount in there, if you where to pump it with the valve at the bottom, you can something hear the air bubbling through the sealant. Or release air from it with the valve at the bottom and see if you get any sealant coming out, just not at super high pressure unless you want to coat your floor...! :D

Anyone seen the Continental GP 5000 S TR's in stock anywhere yet?
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,202
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Not road biking specifically, but my front light is mounted using one of those rubber straps that go around the bar and then secure like a belt buckle. Sadly even on the tightest setting the light seems to slip around and change the beam angle.

Now i will accept the light set was about £12 for front and rear from Amazon, however i've found the actual lights to be perfectly fine. Are there some straps which might be stronger or are there other mounts which may perform better?
 
Soldato
Joined
11 Jun 2015
Posts
11,091
Location
Bristol
Don't make it a 'massive' thing, just tick it off! :)

Ride 35-40 miles often enough it doesn't feel a massive undertaking, then on a convenient/planned day just do 50/55 or even the 65. Treat it the same, don't build it up, take a couple of extra snacks and enjoy it. You're just extending distance/riding time. If you're doing 45mins easily enough it's nothing to just do another 15/30. You likely won't feel any different. Then just do 1hr 45 or straight up to 2 hours. Unless you're absolutely nailing yourself for those 45 minutes, a 1.5 hour ride really shouldn't feel too much different.

Yeah I think I'm going to. My problem is when cycling by myself I try and go faster than I would if it was a group ride. Not that I'm faster than those I cycle with but I certainly push myself harder. That 23 mile cycle I did the other day by myself actually left me more tired throughout the day than the 40 mile ride I did the previous week!
 
Associate
Joined
10 Jan 2006
Posts
984
Location
W. London
Cateye have always done good affordable lights. I have a couple of the own brand Wiggle (Lifeline) ones on the trailer and for the money they've been good quality. Burntimes starting to suffer a bit now.

I'm a huge Exposure fan and can't imagine using anything else myself now, but did go through several Cateye and Lezyne's before. Would happily get them again. Only Moon (Nebula) I had was rubbish, wouldn't buy again.

Hnnngg after hours of searching yesterday, I've come to the conclusion Exposure lights are best for road usage, particularly with being able to set the program to easily switch between high and low beams to not dazzle cars. What Exposure light are you running? A Strada?
 
Back
Top Bottom