Have you been punished? :devil:Quote:
Originally Posted by donKey jote
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Have you been punished? :devil:Quote:
Originally Posted by donKey jote
Not yet - but if he's missed a bit he will be! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by gadjo_dilo
no, the missus did her back in and can barely sit for a minute, let alone walk. :dozey:Quote:
Originally Posted by gadjo_dilo
she can't make it downstairs yet, fortunately :erm: :andrea:Quote:
Originally Posted by SGWilko
My brother bought it off me after Christmas and I felt he needed the exercise even more than me ;) So I am waiting for warmer weather (still feels a long way away :( ) and gym (sorry, the Health and racquet club :p : )membership should start in 2 weeks....Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
:monster: :monster: :hot: :grenade: :s mash:
We've gotta kill these things before they take over all of us!
No need anyway as the insurance is settled and I pick up my new bike on Saturday :DQuote:
Originally Posted by J4MIE
Good to hear!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Did you go for a different bike? If yes, which one?
Yep, road bike which I've been after for ages Trek 2.1.
Never ridden a road bike before so should be interesting!
Looks good!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
It is different and you will like it.
Most important thing is to find a good stance on it as soon as possible. Also lots of flexibility can help, so start doing some stretching exercises on a daily basis.
Very different yes! I've found a couple of issues with it, having only ridden it 20 miles.Quote:
Originally Posted by ioan
Firstly I'm finding it really difficult riding on the hoods, my arms are really stretched out - think trying to reach for a cup which is too far away. As a result gripping the ends of the hoods is painful for my hands and elbows, as is braking. I'm considering swapping the 90mm 7deg stem for a 75mm 17deg stem which should bring the lot 2cm closer, but it's a minefield to say the least, everyone seems to have a different opinion!
Braking; everyone has said brakes on a road bike are terrible - they weren't wrong! Coming down a very slight incline towards a roundabout and I was like ok, brake, brake! BRAKE!!!!, I was braking from ages out and hardly got slowed down, I hate to think if I was coming down a hill at 30mph and someone pulled out..
Keeping her locked up in the upper tower...? :p :Quote:
Originally Posted by donKey jote
Road bikes are typically equipped with “V” type brakes which don’t have the same stopping power as disc or side-pulls found on mountain bikes. The trade-off for V-brakes is light weight and aerodynamics :mark: .Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Actually, the most common(cheap) brakes in mtb's are called v-brakes and side pull brakes are more common with road bikes. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by schmenke
There are some good brakes for road bikes, apparently, mine aren't even close. I dobt I have ever gotten the rear wheel completely locked on tarmac.
My next commute bike will most like be a cyclocross bike with disc brakes, with skinny wheels in the summer and studded thingies in winter it will be easier to commute than with my current bikes.
It's been unusually cold for the last few weeks, especially during the night. I'm not hardcore enough to ride to work when it's -15C. :(
Thanks for the clarification. It’s been a while since I’ve sourced any components for my (aging :uhoh: ) mountain bike. It’s equipped with, what I think are called, linear brakes.Quote:
Originally Posted by janneppi
I too am waiting for warmer weather and for the snow to melt :(
Linear pull is the same a v-brake(which was Shimano's maketing name for them) The Finnish translation for direct pull never really caught on here, they are always called the equivalent of v-brakes.
My old bike had linear pull brakes. This one has dual-pivot brakes.
Meh, you get used to it. :p Luckily you only have one bike. Try going from a road bike to disc brakes on a mountain bike. For me that usually translates to locking up on my mountain bike as I forget my brakes will actually work. Varying degrees of bruising and pain often ensues.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Mark, what's your inseam length and what size frame did you get?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Swapping the stem can help you with the reach for the hoods, the 17 degrees rise will also help a bit especially if you back is also under pressure.
You can also consider swapping the handlebar for one with shorter reach. What kind of handlebars you've got? Do you have the specs (reach and drop)?
I have set up my new bike with a 75mm stem and with a Shimano Pro PLT handlebar with 65 mm reach and only 125mm drop.
Did your bike store help you find the right fit and size before you ordered the bike? They should have done it cause a bad fitting bike is a real pain in the rear.
What make of brakes you've got? 105s or Ultegras?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
While generally more expensive brake calipers like Dura Ace are stiffer and as such more effective, the biggest difference will be made by the brake pads, so before doing anything else I would try out different brake pads, SwissStop makes some good ones, check with you local bike store for a set adapted to you rims.
It's a Bontrager Race VR-C (I think the C standing for compact drop)Quote:
Originally Posted by ioan
I don't have branded brakes, just "Bontrager approved" which could be anything but probably Tektro. I've ordered some Ultegra pads, hopefully they will help.Quote:
What make of brakes you've got? 105s or Ultegras?
While generally more expensive brake calipers like Dura Ace are stiffer and as such more effective, the biggest difference will be made by the brake pads, so before doing anything else I would try out different brake pads, SwissStop makes some good ones, check with you local bike store for a set adapted to you rims.
That sounds that the frame is too long.(or you're just not used to a efficient riding position) I'm 188cm and my road bike's frame is a size 60cm, stem is 110mm. And i'm very far from being flexible. There are some good fit calculators on the web, I think I used this last time I checked my riding position.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Fit Calculator - Competitive Cyclist
It's a 52cm frame which should be about right for my height of 5'6" Some people have suggested that I just have a short upper body / arms for my height. They may be right, I don't know.Quote:
Originally Posted by janneppi
According to the info that I found these handlebars have a reach of 85mm, for size a size 42 (I guess you've got 40 or 42 size bars). That is 20 mm longer then my pro PLT compact bars reach.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
So changing the handlebar might also help you a bit, however this also depends on the size of your hands as they have to fit well on less space, I really suggest you visit the shop where you bought the bike and ask them to set it up with the right parts for you.
Let's hope those will help you get a better feel for the brakes as well as help you stop faster.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
As mentioned before these are rather good, not cheap though:
Wiggle | Swissstop Flash Pro Black (Brake Compound) Blocks | Rim Brake Pads
Indeed a size 52 is generally well suited to your height.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
The issue is that some manufacturers will refer to different frame parts when they give the sizing. In some cases, it is the top tube length, in other is the effective top tube length and in other cases it is the seat tube length.
On top of it, as you say, we are all different, with different proportions of our body parts, so there is no one rule to size a bike for any individual. Best thing is to test and change parts on the bike before you order it, all this together with your local bike store. If this is not possible due to buying online then it will take some testing of different parts until you get it all right.
Anyway, the easiest is to shorten the stem and if needed also the bars reach and see what it gives.
LOL, when I got my first mountain bike with (Juicy) disk brakes, I was going down a very steep hill off the trail at Mission Trails Regional Open Space and was accelerating with my rear wheel in full lock when I realized that I was heading to an almost shear drop off. I decided to ease my front brake on which in turn gave me an instantaneous flying lesson over the handle bars and well down the hill. Luckily I only sustained some cartilage damage in my ribcage (painful as hell) and a sore shoulder :crazy:Quote:
Originally Posted by GridGirl
I might give the Swisstop brakes a look then. There's one particular road near me - Peth Bank -which is 20% grade with a corner which was scary enough going down on my hybrid with good brakes never mind with brakes which hardly work ;) . But I don't want to avoid it because that's the best way to the good cycling roads ;)
With relation to the 'making plans' thread and how I tend to go for things too quickly..
I'm hoping to upgrade this bike in due course, but then 'plan', is within a couple of years to have the groupset entirely changed to Ultegra, and upgrade the wheels etc, but I'm saying to myself that I need to do 1,000 miles at the very least before I consider spending any more money.
I'd like to have Di2 eventually of course, but the price would have to come down somewhat!
I've only been riding a road bike for a couple if months but I've been pleasantly surprised by the brakes, although I've not needed an emergency stop I've been able to scrub off speed when required with no particular difficulty, the brakes on mine I think are tiagra or 105, but not sure about the pads, the guy who owned the bike looked after it well so I'd expect they are pretty decent
Sent from the moon using a shoe
First bike rides in spring time. :D
I decided to cycle to work it was on -8C in the morning instead of the usual -15 we've been getting here this March.
I forgot that today was windy, a 7m/s headwind pretty much killed any hope of getting a easy workout. 55 freezing minutes to work.
On my way back home I decided to scout some local trails along the route, pretty good fun, only flew over the handlebar twice. :D
Second time was bit hard though, I hit an icy snow bank pretty hard, my back and left shoulder are still a bit sore.
Maybe I'll try again when temps are closer to 0C.
Well'ard ;) . Temperatures less than 2C are too low for me!
Anything below +15C and I'm just not interested ;)
Fair play. Might have a bit of a wait for that unless your off abroad again ;)
Well it's nice to see there are plenty of people here who also like their cycling (more than me it seems)!
I just did a 40-miler today to Windsor, which I'm really pleased with considering I'd been ill for quite a while. :)
Maybe I can post a pic of my steed too - it's not the most amazing thing but I'm really proud of it. :)
I'm sorry to hear that Ben; it's really horrible when that happens. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Ben
I've lost a seat, back wheel and handlebars from my nice current bike, which was locked up outside. I'd forgotten to bring it in for the night. The thief even left me their existing wheel and connecting skewer for me to use, by the wheely bin. I had to smile even though that appeared to be completely taking the biscuit. :)
Has anyone noticed that you can be pretty fit in one way and not much at all in another...?
Like with me, I can cycle pretty good distances quite quickly. So I thought I wouldn't really struggle too badly at running when I started really trying it properly a couple of years back. It was terrible: I just couldn't do half a mile - DOWNHILL - it was just so much!
Perhaps you have an awkward gait. :angel:
You've changed your name again! Are you trying to lose us? :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Mr Alca-Tazizzle
Oh absolutely, a great deal of fitness is very specific.Quote:
Originally Posted by rjbetty
Yep, I've given up on even trying to run now. But on looking on the internet about this I've found lots of people who class themselves as good cyclists who can't run worth anything at all. Conversely it's often said runners are usually pretty good at cycling!Quote:
Like with me, I can cycle pretty good distances quite quickly. So I thought I wouldn't really struggle too badly at running when I started really trying it properly a couple of years back. It was terrible: I just couldn't do half a mile - DOWNHILL - it was just so much!
You can be quite a lot heavier to do cycling than to run properly. Running at least for me tends to get the heart rate through the roof in minutes, where on a bike as I can keep a constant 140bpm for a long time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
Changed the pads to Ultegra branded ones. Unfortunately they are no better, a lot of braking required today due to the wind.