Bicycles (Split from Freewheel Spin)

[StringJunky]

Imatfaal Said:

 

Remember your weight is on the axle so it is kinda held in place - but it should not be too tight nor too loose; too loose is probably worse. You should not fight to close the QR lever - but nor should you be able to turn the axle on its axis by turning the QR lever.

I shall take this on board. Thanks.

 

 

If String has disc brakes it would be better to be a little on the tight side (disc brakes apply force/torque on only one side of the fork and therefore there is a torque around the axis of the steerer tube) - rim brakes (which would make sense as he posted a picture of some nasty Clarks brake pads last week ) produce no torque in that axis as the retarding torque/force is applied on both sides of the wheel equally. You can test by holding brakes on and pushing the bike forward and pull backwards against the front wheel braking - there should be no movement whatsoever of the axle in any direction.

Yes, they are rim v-brakes. Those "nasty" Clarks brakes are better than what came with the bike. £35 for a set of Swisstop Greens seems rather outrageous to me, at the moment, for four bits of coloured rubber. I've put Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on. Do they pass muster? I have a hybrid bike for towning. From what I've read so far, rim brakes are fine for my purposes. I'm not aspiring to discs on this one; the forks aren't up to them anyway, I don't think.

 

 

String - if you are gonna be doing any maintenance (and forgive me if you already know all this) check out Park Tools website for their huge array of tips and advice / Sheldon Browns Website / andor By Zinn and the Art of Bicycle Maintenance

 

I've already read a few Sheldon Brown articles. I shall check out the others. Thanks.

 

I have a vague idea of wanting to slowly replace all the bits on this budget bike with components I like and then, finally, get a new chainset and frame, then put all the new bits on that. I'll have two bikes then.

 

What do you think to a single chainring with a 11-speed rear gear set? My required gear range is quite narrow; 3nd to 7th gear on the second chain ring (21-speed) is all I really use.

Edited March 31, 2016 by StringJunky

[StringJunky]

I've ordered Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, Imatfaal. Thanks for the pointer.

[imatfaal]

Imatfaal Said:

I shall take this on board. Thanks.

 

Yes, they are rim v-brakes. Those "nasty" Clarks brakes are better than what came with the bike. £35 for a set of Swisstop Greens seems rather outrageous to me, at the moment, for four bits of coloured rubber.

 

Dry weather and clean rims - no worries. When you are wet through and your rims are covered in a mixture of crap from the road, aluminium dust, brake dust, oil, and water - then maybe. I found a noticeable difference between the rubbish which was supplied, the shimano/ultegra I replaced them with, and again with the swiss-top pro green that I ended up with. I only have rim brakes on my fast bike and I want it to stop as quickly as the tyres will let it

 

 

I've put Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres on. Do they pass muster?

 

I use them throughout the winter they are a brilliant tyre for puncture avoidance- and no, nothing to do with tread for the rain / avoiding aquaplaning. There are two great reasons for heavy tyres in the winter; firstly the water will wash stones/flints/glass into your path and stick it to your tyres; secondly, punctures in the rain are vile. They are quite heavy and wooden though - so for my weekend bike and for the commuter during the summer I switch to Continental GP 4000s II - or Schwalbe Durano plus. These are both much lighter and roll with much less resistance - so much so that you actually will notice a difference.

 

 

I have a hybrid bike for towning. From what I've read so far, rim brakes are fine for my purposes. I'm not aspiring to discs on this one; the forks aren't up to them anyway, I don't think.

 

Disc brakes are very easy - they make the rankest amateur able to hit the sweet spot that on rim brakes is very difficult to find. And you are right both the frame and the forks must be designed from the very beginning - you mustn't try to mix and match because the forces and torques are completely different from rim to disc and vice versa

 

 

I have a vague idea of wanting to slowly replace all the bits on this budget bike with components I like and then, finally, get a new chainset and frame, then put all the new bits on that. I'll have two bikes then.

 

That's kinda of what a lot of folks do - however be aware that unless you are aiming high end that you can buy a better bike just off the shelf for the same price. At the high end you can make yourself a real bargain - at the lower end some of the deals available on last seasons bikes or on ebay are just so good that you cannot compete.

 

 

What do you think to a single chainring with a 11-speed rear gear set? My required gear range is quite narrow; 3nd to 7th gear on the second chain ring (21-speed) is all I really use.

 

It is very popular - but there is a loss of range. Two chain rings and ten or eleven at the back are such easy and good quality that you won't find them going wrong much and they are cheap. Tiagra / Apex are just amazing gear sets - and they are at the bottom of the price range!

[StringJunky]

 

Dry weather and clean rims - no worries. When you are wet through and your rims are covered in a mixture of crap from the road, aluminium dust, brake dust, oil, and water - then maybe. I found a noticeable difference between the rubbish which was supplied, the shimano/ultegra I replaced them with, and again with the swiss-top pro green that I ended up with. I only have rim brakes on my fast bike and I want it to stop as quickly as the tyres will let it

 

 

 

I use them throughout the winter they are a brilliant tyre for puncture avoidance- and no, nothing to do with tread for the rain / avoiding aquaplaning. There are two great reasons for heavy tyres in the winter; firstly the water will wash stones/flints/glass into your path and stick it to your tyres; secondly, punctures in the rain are vile. They are quite heavy and wooden though - so for my weekend bike and for the commuter during the summer I switch to Continental GP 4000s II - or Schwalbe Durano plus. These are both much lighter and roll with much less resistance - so much so that you actually will notice a difference.

 

 

 

Disc brakes are very easy - they make the rankest amateur able to hit the sweet spot that on rim brakes is very difficult to find. And you are right both the frame and the forks must be designed from the very beginning - you mustn't try to mix and match because the forces and torques are completely different from rim to disc and vice versa

 

 

 

That's kinda of what a lot of folks do - however be aware that unless you are aiming high end that you can buy a better bike just off the shelf for the same price. At the high end you can make yourself a real bargain - at the lower end some of the deals available on last seasons bikes or on ebay are just so good that you cannot compete.

 

 

 

It is very popular - but there is a loss of range. Two chain rings and ten or eleven at the back are such easy and good quality that you won't find them going wrong much and they are cheap. Tiagra / Apex are just amazing gear sets - and they are at the bottom of the price range!

How much do you call high end? I put Ergon GS3 Grps on and Selle Respiro seat which was 100 pounds. Noticeably better riding experience, I did think they were a bit extravagant but they've proved very comfortable and the bike is a pleasure now.... no numb gonads or handache. I always thought it was the cold draught causing numbness but it seems it's actually pressure on the perineum, I found out recently.

Edited April 2, 2016 by StringJunky

[imatfaal]

How much do you call high end? I put Ergon GS3 Grps on and Selle Respiro seat which was 100 pounds. Noticeably better riding experience, I did think they were a bit extravagant but they've proved very comfortable and the bike is a pleasure now.... no numb gonads or handache. I always thought it was the cold draught causing numbness but it seems it's actually pressure on the perineum, I found out recently.

 

No point in skimping on your saddle - that said I buy mine from ebay! I am almost pathologically mean so I will always go for a bargain - I bought up a set of Fizik test saddles for 100 euro from a bike shop that was going out of business in Luxembourg; I now use a Fizik Antares Vs - it also has that groove to stop the numb gonads and also help prevent trouble further back. You should have two main points of contact and they are the ridges of pelvic bone. You don't want any real pressure on anywhere else - especially not on the midline between "ahem" and "ahem" - or as St Augustine would have it no sitting on the stuff "inter faeces et urinam" although that phrase was for something completely different and definitely only really applied to women.

 

High End / Low End. On Victoria Embankment on Friday I overtook a guy (three times - he caught up at traffic lights and then jumped them) on a 10 grand Pinerello - that's not high end that's just silly; if you have a bike that costs as much as a new car then you need to be able to ride it well otherwise it is just embarrassing. I think of bargain as sub-500, low end sub 1000, getting serious below 1500, high end around 2000. For between 500 and 1000 there are some astonishingly good bikes - the french company BTwin 500 series (at Decathlon) is amazing value with a top end bike that is close to the UCI lower weight limit and from all accounts handles brilliantly. Under 500 Halford and Boardman do some amazing deals - the bikes will be a bit nasty but they will do tens of thousands of miles without problem. It is the next level where you are paying for very marginal gains - the difference for instance between Shimano Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, and Dura Ace is noticeably; but so is the cost 14, 27, 28, 37, 95. For my money 105 in the middle of the range is the best bang for your buck - but any of the middle three are amazing gruppos . It is in this maze that you can make savings by buying components separately - perhaps economising here and splashing out there rather than taking what you are given

and of course you get to be silly and have a bike that no one else would be seen dead upon - mainly cos it is the only one

[StringJunky]

 

No point in skimping on your saddle - that said I buy mine from ebay! I am almost pathologically mean so I will always go for a bargain - I bought up a set of Fizik test saddles for 100 euro from a bike shop that was going out of business in Luxembourg; I now use a Fizik Antares Vs - it also has that groove to stop the numb gonads and also help prevent trouble further back. You should have two main points of contact and they are the ridges of pelvic bone. You don't want any real pressure on anywhere else - especially not on the midline between "ahem" and "ahem" - or as St Augustine would have it no sitting on the stuff "inter faeces et urinam" although that phrase was for something completely different and definitely only really applied to women.

 

High End / Low End. On Victoria Embankment on Friday I overtook a guy (three times - he caught up at traffic lights and then jumped them) on a 10 grand Pinerello - that's not high end that's just silly; if you have a bike that costs as much as a new car then you need to be able to ride it well otherwise it is just embarrassing. I think of bargain as sub-500, low end sub 1000, getting serious below 1500, high end around 2000. For between 500 and 1000 there are some astonishingly good bikes - the french company BTwin 500 series (at Decathlon) is amazing value with a top end bike that is close to the UCI lower weight limit and from all accounts handles brilliantly. Under 500 Halford and Boardman do some amazing deals - the bikes will be a bit nasty but they will do tens of thousands of miles without problem. It is the next level where you are paying for very marginal gains - the difference for instance between Shimano Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, and Dura Ace is noticeably; but so is the cost 14, 27, 28, 37, 95. For my money 105 in the middle of the range is the best bang for your buck - but any of the middle three are amazing gruppos . It is in this maze that you can make savings by buying components separately - perhaps economising here and splashing out there rather than taking what you are given

and of course you get to be silly and have a bike that no one else would be seen dead upon - mainly cos it is the only one

That's a gay (bright, cheerful, showy ) looking seat. The whole bike looks much better quality than mine... it's only a 300 quid one, and I've spent about £250 on it so far. I don't mind ending up with a bike that proves much more expensive than buying a whole one new. I need a new hobby, and agonising over each piece, how it works and what I want it to do, is part of that process. It's final value is irrelevant because I never sell anything; I buy stuff because I want it... there is no eye on future value. The activity is more important than the thing.

 

I notice your stand has a similar base to mine. It is very fussy about placement location, otherwise it's unstable because there is no gap underneath to compensate for ground irregularities. I punched two marks through appropriately placed tape (to stop it slipping) on each front leg, then drilled right through at the punch marks. I then inserted two old, even, brake block units in them, put a brake spacer on, then the bolt. You can use the spacer, if necessary, to act as an additional adjuster next to the brake block. It's much more tolerant of surfaces now, and nice to work on the bike without worry of it falling over. Make sure you drill vertical. I found just two front supports is fine, and actually compensates for the forward forces of the bike, with the stand leaning back ever so slightly.

 

Edited April 3, 2016 by StringJunky

[imatfaal]

You are dead right about those stands - can be a right pain and yours looks like a superb hack. You should put it on instructables

 

I would highly recommend buying a work frame - this one was 29 quid off ebay; but you can spend any amount of money more on them. This is my commuter and the bike in the corridor is the same one (as above in my back garden) which used to be orange and is now back in black and white

 

[Sirona]

Here's my ride. It's a decent road bike and the lightest in the ladies vintage range at about 12.5kg. I can cover a decent distance (40-50km) but would prefer more gears. The basket adds extra weight but it's too pretty to ditch.

[imatfaal]

Come'on String - it is now time to show us your bike!

 

Nice Bike Sirona - that's a similar colour to what I was considering for the next iteration of my commuter (http://spray.bike/products/ - bomber)

[StringJunky]

Yes, nice colour Sirona... I painted one the same but with silvered forks.

 

Here's my steed. I love riding it now it's got the bits on that suit me ergonomically, like the seat (Selle Royal Respiro) , grips (Ergon GS3) and pedals (Halfords brand).

 

 

I don't know if you know, Sirona, but comfortable seats, that you can sit on for hours, have a groove down the middle to take pressure off the perineum. Mine is designed so that air moves under that area as well. There's a vent at the front for airflow.

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by StringJunky

[Sirona]

Come'on String - it is now time to show us your bike!

 

Nice Bike Sirona - that's a similar colour to what I was considering for the next iteration of my commuter (http://spray.bike/products/ - bomber)

I would have preferred mint green but they only had it in the vintage cruisers or fixie's. I would like to replace my seat as it's not very comfortable for long commutes. I'm considering using this one just to get to the beach and back. I often do long trips on the weekend and like to ride in the Blue Mountains and need the lower gears. I was thinking about this one:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-2016-REID-OSPREY-ELITE-ROAD-BIKE-27SPD-SHIMANO-SORA-CARBON-FORK-/171989349927

 

It's got a much bigger range of gears and triple chain rings.

 

 

[StringJunky]

I would have preferred mint green but they only had it in the vintage cruisers or fixie's. I would like to replace my seat as it's not very comfortable for long commutes. I'm considering using this one just to get to the beach and back. I often do long trips on the weekend and like to ride in the Blue Mountains and need the lower gears. I was thinking about this one:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-2016-REID-OSPREY-ELITE-ROAD-BIKE-27SPD-SHIMANO-SORA-CARBON-FORK-/171989349927

 

It's got a much bigger range of gears and triple chain rings.

 

 

If you are doing hills, you will be better postured with a road bike because it puts your back more in the sport position and it will be easier to pedal uphill. A sit-up-and-beg positioned bike, like you currently have, is hard work on inclines.

[imatfaal]

Sirona

 

For the hills you need the gears - although the range of a double at the front is the same as a triple (just larger steps on the double) and doubles are easier to look after and fewer things to go wrong. That bike looks good for the money. But two important things - always but always try a bike before you part with any cash, and ensure that you have a good and easy route to return the bike if something is not right. This often militates against buying a bike over the internet. It is these services which bike shops have to put into their cost - which is why some of the web-shops are so much cheaper. The best of both worlds is a shop with a good high street presence but who sells and thus competes with other web-outlets.

I don't know if you know, Sirona, but comfortable seats, that you can sit on for hours, have a groove down the middle to take pressure off the perineum. Mine is designed so that air moves under that area as well. There's a vent at the front for airflow.

 

Men's and women's saddles are quite different - but most good ones for either sex do have a groove. This is much more important for men than women apparently - but it could just be that research has been done on men's discomfort and none on women's (see mad thread above regarding no need for feminism ) It is important to try saddles out as well - you need the support under the pelvic bones commonly referred to as the sit bones but you don't want support inside this; so you should really buy a saddle of the correct width.

 

If you are getting soreness or joint ache - then getting your bike fitted to your size is crucial. The companies that do this are amazing - but quite pricey - there are do it yourself versions on the web that are a reasonable alternative.

[imatfaal]

String - if you do think of the stand https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-assembly-stand/p/092974007528400 . I not used one but have heard good things

[Sirona]

Sirona

 

For the hills you need the gears - although the range of a double at the front is the same as a triple (just larger steps on the double) and doubles are easier to look after and fewer things to go wrong. That bike looks good for the money. But two important things - always but always try a bike before you part with any cash, and ensure that you have a good and easy route to return the bike if something is not right. This often militates against buying a bike over the internet. It is these services which bike shops have to put into their cost - which is why some of the web-shops are so much cheaper. The best of both worlds is a shop with a good high street presence but who sells and thus competes with other web-outlets.

 

Men's and women's saddles are quite different - but most good ones for either sex do have a groove. This is much more important for men than women apparently - but it could just be that research has been done on men's discomfort and none on women's (see mad thread above regarding no need for feminism ) It is important to try saddles out as well - you need the support under the pelvic bones commonly referred to as the sit bones but you don't want support inside this; so you should really buy a saddle of the correct width.

 

If you are getting soreness or joint ache - then getting your bike fitted to your size is crucial. The companies that do this are amazing - but quite pricey - there are do it yourself versions on the web that are a reasonable alternative.

I was tempted to buy a new bike online but due to my height (5'2") I really do need to test that the frame is right for me. I think it's difficult to find the bike with the right geometry though when you only take it for a test ride around the block. Some stores allow you to exchange within a two week time frame if you're unhappy which is convenient. I start to experience serious discomfort due to pressure on my perineum after about 2-3 hours of riding. Do you know if the saddle is more likely to be the cause, or the frame? Although I do cycle a lot, I don't consider myself an enthusiast and therefore don't know much about it, so I do appreciate the advice!

[StringJunky]

start to experience serious discomfort due to pressure on my perineum after about 2-3 hours of riding. Do you know if the saddle is more likely to be the cause, or the frame? Although I do cycle a lot, I don't consider myself an enthusiast and therefore don't know much about it, so I do appreciate the advice!

It's definitely the saddle. Even if if means, wastefully, buying two, three, or four saddles, in the end, do it. It is important that you protect yourself there. It can lead to nerve and back problems. It's an absolute pleasure when a seat just fits right. Basically, you want a seat that will not put any pressure on your perineum-area, at all. Find an ergonomically -shaped seat for your particular derriere, and spare no expense on the choosing the right one. I bought three in the end. Here's the Selle Italia site, expect to pay £50 - £100ish for one that will be right for you. I got mine for £35, but is normally £50. Shopping around is worth it. I'm sure immatfaal will give you tips on what yo look for. The Lady Man Gel flow looks good...will be about £100 for the Gel Flow range. Have a gander through the whole site... they are saddle specialists. My Selle Royal Respiro is fab... It will go on every bike I buy.

 

http://www.selleitalia.com/en/prodotti/road/

 

A bike with a more sporty rider position is easier in the long run for riding but you still have to buy a saddleand seat on top to make it comfortable, for you

 

Choose your grips, as well, with the same scrutiny if you are get a heavy, localised pressure-ache in your hands, after a while, with your current ones. You want grips that spread the load from your leaning over, on as much palm area as possible. Here's the Ergon site. If you do fancy any of those, let me know, and I'll let you know the ins-and-outs of the model codes within each type. The prices are about the same as the seats.

 

http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/en/home

 

A bike with a more sporty rider position is easier in the long run for riding log-distance, and hills, but you will still have to buy a saddleand seat on top to make it optimally comfortable, for you. If the pedal size is a bit mean on your bike, change them as well.

Edited April 8, 2016 by StringJunky

[StringJunky]

This mirror I use is an interesting alternative to the usual handlebar mirrors...it can't get knocked about. It's called a Bike Eye. It takes a bit of getting used to, needing to learn to synchronise when you glance as the right-hand pedal reaches the top.

 

[StringJunky]

String - if you do think of the stand https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-assembly-stand/p/092974007528400 . I not used one but have heard good things

That looks good, will have a look and see if they have any in.