Bicycle Fans - official thread for people who love riding th

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  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    We did not go on our usual weekly bike ride today so we'll have to wait till next week when we're out of crunch time. Hiiiiii to all the new people on the thread :)
  • badblood
    badblood Posts: 43 Member
    Yes, Boardman's are sold exclusively by Halfords.... Unless you are looking at Boardman's real top end stuff (i.e. £5,000 bikes!)

    You are quite right; Halfords do have a bad rep, but there are some nice bikes there... I don't think I'll be taking my bike there for servicing and repair though :laugh:

    Evans Cycles is also worth a look, as is the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op...

    You can't go far wrong with a Local Bike Shop (LBS) but be warned, there are bad LBS's too!

    If money is tight, then eBay/local ads etc. can be your friend; a lad I know got an £1,800 Felt Full Suspension Mountain bike off of eBay for £400 - absolutely mint!

    You do get what you pay for, so choose wisely :wink:

    Really cheap new bikes are not designed for regular riding as the parts tends to wear out quickly and tend to be non standard fit. Halfords have a bad reputation round here more for the lack of knowledge and skill of the staff although again, that can be the same anywhere. My advice would be to research what kind of bike you need and then quiz the shops you are thinking of using. My LBS were great with me when I bought my first MTB, I got solid advice and when I asked what I could upgrade on my bike to use up the rest of my £650 budget I was told to keep my money as the bike had everything I needed. As a result I have bought 4 bikes off him, the last one being over £2000!

    eBay can be great but caution is advised as stolen bikes tend to get moved on by eBay, so question the seller. Especially if it looks too good to be true!
  • andyj1984
    andyj1984 Posts: 76
    Really cheap new bikes are not designed for regular riding as the parts tends to wear out quickly and tend to be non standard fit. Halfords have a bad reputation round here more for the lack of knowledge and skill of the staff although again, that can be the same anywhere.

    I was really impressed with the staff at the Giant shop when I bought my new ride. Great care was taken to find me a bike which fitted perfectly, then one of the members of staff took about 20 minutes giving the gears a proper setup, and checking everything was shifting okay, as well as a general servicing (checking hydraulic level in the brakes, checking the chain and spokes, etc).

    The best thing was the honesty, I was told the gearing wouldn't be perfect for the first few weeks due to cable stretch, and if I bring it in after a month I will get a free service on it. Bet Halfords wouldn't do for their cheapy bikes!

    Oh I agree about eBay... A lot of stolen bikes on there :(:(:(

    I wouldn't dare leave my bike locked up anywhere, she lives in the house with me! LOL
  • andyj1984
    andyj1984 Posts: 76
    For Road cyckes don't tend to leave with anything more than 2 bottles in the cages (750ml) with Robinson's Special R and a few quid in cash, anything I need is picked up from shops on route.

    That's brave! When I do more than a few miles on my bike I take the kitchen sink with me! Well, not literally. My standard pack includes:

    First aid kit (essential in my opinion), repair kit, spare inner tubes, OS map, pump, solar charger and spare battery for my phone.

    Its probably a bit overkill, but I know if I *didn't* have that stuff I would get a puncture 15 miles out from home, get lost, fall off an injure myself, or run out of battery for my phone! LOL! Plus carrying that, with lunch and several water bottles is a great pack for my back, to give that a bit of a workout! :)
  • badblood
    badblood Posts: 43 Member
    I learnt the hard way by keeping bikes in the shed. After the 3rd one got stolen, the Yeti got a home under the stairs. Any bike shop should offer a free tune up service after a month. It's not about the short term expense of it, they should think about the long term custom. This is why my LBS gets repeat business from me and other shops where I live don't!
  • whiskey9890
    whiskey9890 Posts: 652 Member
    halfords i believe do offer the service after a month but to be honest after hearing so many horror stories about the staff not putting the bikes toegther properly in the first place i doubt i'd take them up on it probably better off paying a small indipendant store a few quid to give it the once over if you don't have the know how to sort it yourself (i don't but thank fully my other half is quite good with bikes, well he got my rust bucket running smother than it ever has in the 16 years i've had it lol )
  • NiallWallace
    NiallWallace Posts: 78 Member
    For Road cyckes don't tend to leave with anything more than 2 bottles in the cages (750ml) with Robinson's Special R and a few quid in cash, anything I need is picked up from shops on route.

    That's brave! When I do more than a few miles on my bike I take the kitchen sink with me! Well, not literally. My standard pack includes:

    First aid kit (essential in my opinion), repair kit, spare inner tubes, OS map, pump, solar charger and spare battery for my phone.

    Its probably a bit overkill, but I know if I *didn't* have that stuff I would get a puncture 15 miles out from home, get lost, fall off an injure myself, or run out of battery for my phone! LOL! Plus carrying that, with lunch and several water bottles is a great pack for my back, to give that a bit of a workout! :)

    I was meaning food wise, always have tyre levers, tubes and a multi tool in a saddle bag, each bike has one. And the time I discover I've taken the tyre levers out and the spare tubes have perished is whne I need them. Phone is rarley allowed to complain about low battery.

    Don't see much use of a first aid kit on an out and back road cycle, if I'm off it's gonig to hurt and the wee tube of Savlon isn't going to cover the road rash, and I'm not anywhere remote enough for there not to be a house or pub to crawl into and ask for an ambulance.
  • andyj1984
    andyj1984 Posts: 76
    Don't see much use of a first aid kit on an out and back road cycle, if I'm off it's gonig to hurt and the wee tube of Savlon isn't going to cover the road rash, and I'm not anywhere remote enough for there not to be a house or pub to crawl into and ask for an ambulance.

    Maybe not a full first-aid kit, but I would recommend at least some saline, alcohol wipes and some sterile gauze, just to clean out any of the gunk that might get into a graze or cut, don't want to risk infections. Though on-road there is probably less chance of falling off your bike. Since I generally ride trails out in the middle of nowhere, I feel better carrying some basic first aid supplies with me.

    Though a first aid kit isn't going to heal a broken bone ;) LOL. I consider my mobile phone to be just as important when on my bike. Oh my phone is an android, so it eats power for breakfast (hence the spare battery/solar charger!)
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    I don't carry a first aid kit at the moment, but its a good call!

    I'll get my hands on a small one for my bag!
  • BryanAir
    BryanAir Posts: 434
    The ride into work this morning was beautiful. It was sunny with a light wind. It was so nice I almost forgot where I was going and felt like it was a Sunday ride. The ride home should be even better with sunny and 72 forecast.
  • Shyntrue
    Shyntrue Posts: 4
    Love riding my bike. I will have to get some bike shorts & a new seat.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    I took 3 mins and 10 seconds off my ride home time tonight :happy:

    12.74 miles at an average of 17.43 mph...

    I'm one very happy chap :bigsmile:
  • novatri
    novatri Posts: 262 Member
    25 mile group ride tonight with a few decent hills. I need to get a road bike. Need to get a job first haha. Old fogies kicking my butt up and down the street. Great group of people though. A nice no drop club.
  • nissafull
    nissafull Posts: 48
    I love love love my Electra Townie! She is pink and her name is Bella. We do nice long steady rides together... Obviously, neither one of us are racers. But it makes for a nice slow burn of calories.
  • kdao
    kdao Posts: 265
    I love cycling....I am a road cyclist :smile: I ride 40 miles every Saturday and 25 miles every Sunday. I also put my bike on the trainer on Tuesdays and Thursdays and spin 12 miles.
  • hawkeyegal1995
    hawkeyegal1995 Posts: 2,009 Member
    Count me in as someone who loves cycling! In the winter, my bike is on a training stand and I have been riding outside for a few weeks now but really wish that mother nature would start to give me a break with the wind, rain and cold! Try to ride about 20 miles a day during the week and log longer miles on the weekend.

    Lucked out and got a week pass for RAGBRAI this year....it will be my first attempt at the full week's ride. I did 3 days last year and figure I am in better shape this year. So is there anyone else on here that will be crossing Iowa in July?

    Jenn
  • Windi38
    Windi38 Posts: 164 Member
    Its the 'fat tires' (tyres) which cause more friction because you have a larger contact patch on the road.

    i.e. a 'normal' mountain bike tyre is 26" x 1 3/4" and inflates to approx 35psi. This tyre has a huge contact patch; ideal for off road purposes, but useless on the tarmac really, as you are kinda cycling through treacle. A 'commuter bike' would have 700 x 35 tyres which inflate to around 60psi. these tyres have a much smaller contact patch with the road, thus less friction, which allows you to progress on at a much better pace. Hybrid bikes on the whole have 700 x 28 or 25 tyres fitted to them which have a maximum psi rating of 120psi. These tyres have little on no deflection by the road and have a really low friction patch on the road. These tyres allow you to zip along! Drop handlebar race bikes have 700 x 23 tyres fitted to them (on the whole,) and are normally rated at up to 120psi (but can be as high as 160 psi!) These tyres have an even smaller contact patch on the road, thus less friction still and you can really fly along!

    My commute (on my race bike,) is 12.8 miles. I do this journey in 45 minutes at an average of 17mph! I've only been doing this for a couple of weeks now, so this will get better as my fitness improves... I rode over 75 miles last week on my journey to and from work :happy:

    good information to have! thanks! I have no clue what my tires really are, but they are pretty fat. Maybe I'll talk to my husband about just getting some hybrid type tires. Can you put those type on a mountain bike? I have a mid 90's Specialized RockHopper. Or maybe I just just start keeping an eye out for something on Craiglist. I live in Kansas City and there are tons of bikes for sale. Pretty good prices too.
  • Windi38
    Windi38 Posts: 164 Member
    Put in 22 miles on my Specialized Rockhopper yesterday. Average speed 13.5. That's the fastest and longest I've gone. I live in the southwest suburbs of Kansas City, so there are a few pretty good hills around, and a lot of gentle up and downs. I know my bike isn't capable of going much faster, so I'm considering looking into getting a good used hybrid or road bike.

    I'm still not sure I want a road bike, but the 22 miles on the dirtbike made my knees hurt some and I was trying really hard to keep my gears down. But I'm also not sure a hybrid would make that much of a difference!


    any advice would be most welcome! I have time to ride, I try and put in at least an hour and a half at a time now. I'd be happy to be out for 2 hours but my knees are telling me about it and I really really don't want to hurt myself unintentionally!
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
    Windi

    Hybrid bikes aren't a terrific idea, not great for either the road or off-road. If you are not wanting a road bike look at touring bikes, they look similar to road bikes but with longer wheel bases and hardier tyres.

    Also, even with your riding on the mountain bike, I don't think your knees should be playing up, you may need to get a fit as your seat might be too low.

    GG
  • KTGator
    KTGator Posts: 78
    Hi all!

    Just discovered this thread =) I have a commuter bike that I use to get back and forth from work (it's a 4-mile round trip), in addition to taking it out for additional bike rides as time/weather permits! I'm still a newbie to the biking world, so the most I really bike right now is up to 6 miles, but that's mainly because I haven't taken the time to map out anything longer than that!
  • bbbbb33333
    bbbbb33333 Posts: 1,107 Member
    Love biking! Started riding again when a few friends and I teamed up to do a small "spriint" triathlon. I got the biking leg and have found it an enjoyable exercise to swap out with running. Have ridden around town up to about 35 miles. Commuted to work two or 3 times (~ 17 mi one way). This year I am shooting for doing the entire "sprint" triathlon myself (if I can get the swimming down).
  • BryanAir
    BryanAir Posts: 434
    Hi all!

    Just discovered this thread =) I have a commuter bike that I use to get back and forth from work (it's a 4-mile round trip), in addition to taking it out for additional bike rides as time/weather permits! I'm still a newbie to the biking world, so the most I really bike right now is up to 6 miles, but that's mainly because I haven't taken the time to map out anything longer than that!

    It is a great way to get to know your town better. I've lived in the same metro area for 16 years now and riding my bike around it has shown me a lot of new businesses, parks, and shortcuts I never noticed before.
  • shadow3829
    shadow3829 Posts: 103 Member
    Oops! **Backs out of thread** ...I thought you meant the ones with motors. :)
  • fatcat72
    fatcat72 Posts: 1
    I also enjoy riding my bike & have been doing this for 1 year 2 times per week(around 8 miles each time). I find this very relaxing and love the fresh air.

    Keep riding.

    Kind regards.

    Beverly.
  • angeleyes13
    angeleyes13 Posts: 22
    Hi everyone

    My cardio is mostly on my bike - even though I have done a lot of running in the past, I really don't like it and like the freedom a bike gives me.
    I have just swapped from a mountain bike to a road and trail bike (a beautiful special edition Lambretta - yes they make pushbikes too!!) and I love it - I live close the Thames in London and ride on the Thames path with my partner which is great.
    A
  • jjbranc
    jjbranc Posts: 27
    I just got back into biking and I love it! I bike to work (14 miles round trip) and try to stay out of my car all weekend. I take my bike to run errands. I love the exercise and the peaceful feeling I get.
  • Lanfear
    Lanfear Posts: 524
    Can anyone give me some tips? This is really dumb... :embarassed: I recently upgraded to my first road bike, from riding a hybrid for approx 15 months. The only thing is, I've noticed that I wobble really badly now when I'm signalling to turn left or right - which I didn't on my hybrid. The steering on my Scott Contessa (her name is Blue LOL) is much more twitchy than my Specialized Ariel. Is it just something I'll get used to???

    Heehee I'm already finding longer routes to/from work so I can ride my baby Blue for longer - she's great! :happy:

    Actually have to say I'm really embarrased. :frown: I thought I was getting a bit fitter/better/faster on my bike(s) - but my average speed is totallly rubbish compared to most people on this thread!! The lady who's only been riding a couple of weeks (Whiskey?) has a much higher average speed than me! :sad: How can I improve it? There are sections of my ride where I'm bowling along much faster and then I'll hit a hill and that stuffs me right up. I'd like to join a club of some sort but would be worried that I'm too slow... :frown:
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    Oops! **Backs out of thread** ...I thought you meant the ones with motors. :)

    I love those bike too, but alas I am restricted to pedal power only at the moment!
  • StuAblett
    StuAblett Posts: 1,141 Member
    bump
  • NiallWallace
    NiallWallace Posts: 78 Member
    I took 3 mins and 10 seconds off my ride home time tonight :happy:

    12.74 miles at an average of 17.43 mph...

    I'm one very happy chap :bigsmile:

    Nice going, what's your terrain and wind like?
    I've got lots of flat and then a big hill up on the way in to work.
    And since my route is horseshoe shaped I also have a nasty north sea breeze to contend with both directions.
    Tyres Tires

    It's not a direct comparisson as the geometry and gearing is also different but
    On my touring bike with a fairly relaxed geometry and MTB Gearing my commute to work is around the 45 minute mark with Schwalbe CityJet 26"x1.5" Slick Tyres (These should go on the majority of 26" rims, if you're currently on standard MTB 26x1.9" tyres then they will fit)

    On my Training Road (Another way of saying it's a "cheap" model) bike with traditional gearing (48/52 tooth cogs on front, and a 22 to 12 tooth rear) and 700x23C Conti UltraRace/UltraSport tyres I'm doing it in 35 minutes.


    I switched from 26x1.9" Knoblies to 26x1.9" Slicks on another bike years ago, there was certainly a speed difference on hills and you can hear the difference in the resistance.
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