Cyclist Thread

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

A 6spd internal hub or some sort of derailleur set up? I don't really see what use multiple gears would give you in trials, I'd kinda think you'd stick with one and just use it. I use a massive 48/15 on my fixed its really makes climbing hills fun.

[Johnstuff]

Usually derailleurs. Yeah they arn't much use that's why the rule has been scrapped - people who normally run single speed would fit gears just to be competition legal.

It was originally because there are two classes of trials, mod (20" wheels) and stock (26" wheels). The mod class was for modified trials bikes and the stock class was for stock mountain bikes. But over time the stock frames have changed so much that they are now very similar to mods except for wheel size. Stock bikes used to be harder to ride than mods but now there's not much difference.
I think now the classes have been scrapped and all bikes compete together.

Interestingly there are not very many 24" trials bikes because they didn't have a competition class. So 24" trials bikes are more like BMX bikes made for street stunts rather than pure trials.

Hope that makes some sense...there I go waffling again!

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

This threads kinda dead, but I'm pretty excited I'm stepping up to clipless pedals on my fiixed tomorrow. If its warm enough I'll do my commute on them thurs and friday.. It should make the hills a breeze.

[DJChicky]

Good luck with the clipless pedals. The first time I used mine I sprained my wrist falling in the street... now I can't ride without 'em!

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

everyones telling me not to fall. I'm being optimistic and just thinking i can jump on em and go... As is I can track stand through just about any red light. I usually don't put my feet down ever on my 8 mile commute, so I figure I'll never actually need to unclip if I also decide to do away with a destination. Everyone thinks its weird for me to do this with a fixed gear, but It doesn't matter what shoes or how tight my straps are now, I never feel secure enough or really feel like i'm getting anything out of them climbing hills and theres a lot of em around here.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

LOL at forgetting sneakers and having to wear road shoes all day at school.

[squigaletta]

I cycled 18 miles on Monday. It was great and I really want to get a bike, I never feel cooler than when I'm on a bike! I used to love cycling round bcn, I wish they had a similar system here.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

whats BCN

[fresquinho]

Barcelona I think. They have a bike-sharing system (Bicing)

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I've become a nerd and track my rides, I like to see what shapes I make. This ones boring but I almost made a lighting bolt on friday. But I'm on break right now so I'm putting in the miles, 40 for the days not bad.

[fresquinho]

I have a question for male road bicycle users. I have recently started to cycle on a road bike, and I notice that everytime I'm on the saddle for over 20 minutes or so, my.. stuff goes numb. And I mean you-touch-it-and-feel-nothing(-and-start-worrying-if-it's-still-there) numb. I have experienced this on several bicycles and saddles. Does anyone have this problem?

[Johnstuff]

Yeah I know what you mean. I'd have thought it was down to the type of saddle or the position of the saddle.

I try and adjust how I'm sitting after a while (move my weight foward or back on the saddle), seems to work for me but then again I don't do much long distance.

Might be worth a look on veganfitness.net (in the cycling forum) or on any biking forum.

[Jiffy]

I have a question for male road bicycle users. I have recently started to cycle on a road bike, and I notice that everytime I'm on the saddle for over 20 minutes or so, my.. stuff goes numb. And I mean you-touch-it-and-feel-nothing(-and-start-worrying-if-it's-still-there) numb. I have experienced this on several bicycles and saddles. Does anyone have this problem?

I would say it is most likely to be a problem with your setup. If your undercarriage is going numb you are not bearing the weight on your sit bones properly. Is your position such that you are thrown forward excessively and are forced onto the nose of the saddle?

Failing that you haven't yet hit on the magic formula in terms of saddle & shorts combination. Some people like heavily padded shorts others prefer more minimalist padding.

Bear in mind that there is a limit to how much adjustment you can squeeze out of moving the saddle fore/aft before you start causing problems in other areas, such as your knees. You may need to get a longer or shorter stem.

Have a look on here

http://www.bikefitting.com/

and here

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

Good luck, can't have one's Gentleman's bits suffering.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I have a question for male road bicycle users. I have recently started to cycle on a road bike, and I notice that everytime I'm on the saddle for over 20 minutes or so, my.. stuff goes numb. And I mean you-touch-it-and-feel-nothing(-and-start-worrying-if-it's-still-there) numb. I have experienced this on several bicycles and saddles. Does anyone have this problem?

As jiffy said bike fit is really important, so look into those sites, if that doesn't help if you have a good bike shop in your area, have a chat with them. I just noticed you said 20 minutes, not 20 miles!

Um, well lets put it this way, road cycles are a bit uncomfortable for new users. For me the pain was in the perineum, I believe thats the proper term for not the genitalia but the area in-between, we call it the grundle in America as slang. Anyway that was a pain for a while, but then you toughen up and get used to it. If you have not been riding for a while this may be the case, if not have a serious look at bike fit and a chat with the bike shop.

Saddle height can be a quick fix, but bike fit is temperamental, but saddles are really important so go shopping and look around and ask others what they find comfortable. I never considered shorts cos I usually cycle in jeans, but good luck. I hope your junk pain relieves a bit!

[Jiffy]

Jeans eh? You must be much better than me at avoiding chain tattoos then

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

yes tight tight trousers so I don't get them caught in the chain. I really should get some sort of cycling gear, but I do a lot of commuting and I really don't wanna show up in class with some tiny shorts on. Jeans for now, cut offs its hot outside and I'm feeling hip and trendy.

[Stu]

Ok time for links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed_gear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_cycling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_bicycle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryTcbisI_j8

and these guys in San Francisco who ride brakeless in traffic so you can see how its done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTEWI...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0AFp...eature=related

and for those of you in the UK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wQQ4CyzbE0

and I meant I'm still getting some new parts to make it ride nicer and look better.

Those clips are pretty cool. I found another one that I really like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4UF...eature=related

I suppose I like it because it reminds me of me, and it's funny (like when the bloke is totally on the wrong side of the road and he goes right past the police car).

[Stu]

Thanks for the info, EYF.

I just roll up my jeans. That's kinda the done thing in London, for people who don't want to wear those ridiculous cycling clothes.

Oops. I just realised that this might sound rude about people who wear cycling clothes. I apologise!

[Stu]

Watching all these clips has caused me to seriously consider going for a fixed gear next time I buy a bike.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I've only been cycling for a year now and as much as I love fixed gear I'm going for a road bike now cos I'm doing 40 mile+ rides, I'll commute on fixed still.

I'm already noticing the advantages of cycling gear now. I wear spandex now that its hot. Shorts with the chamois which also double as underwear for under your cut offs if you wanna show modesty or use your pockets, plus your belt holds your lock well for short journeys. Cycling jerseys have pockets that'll hold a cellphone, ipod and wallet but not too much more.


I look like a proper dick in my around town gear but sometimes you just don't care...

Watching all these clips has caused me to seriously consider going for a fixed gear next time I buy a bike.

I'd recommend it if your just riding around london or under 30 miles in a day. Theres not much that go wrong on a fixed gear seeing as there are very few parts. Also that means less to steal, I dunno how London is on bike theft but I'd imagine its like any big city. Fixed gear seems to becoming real hip in london I've seen a bunch on the internet as of late.

oh and stu those guys are participating in an alley cat race, which are races that are designed to simulate messenger work. You get a manifest and you have to hit all these check points and whomever does em all first wins. They organized one in a small city around me and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I wouldn't of placed too bad but I missed a checkpoint and had to go 8 miles out of my way so I got a big ol DNF. 40 miles total, only time I've ever felt good about paying $4.50 for a beer that I can get a sixer for 8 was at the bar immediately afterwards.

[vava]

I didn't have a bike when I was a kid - I bought my own when i was 17 but I dont remember riding it v much - I think I just wanted a bike. When I was about 39 I started riding a bike for fun and then got knocked off and got a fractured skull and a badly broken wrist. The fractured skull was only a minor one so no lasting damage. (although some may disagree)

Then recently I got the urge to ride again. I got a fairly cheap mountain bike and husband and I rode on cycle paths and eventually went from one side of the country to the other using the transpennine trail. We went from Liverpool to Hornsea. Going over the pennines was tough and I could only do it with husbands help dragging the bike up hills.

I decided to get a better bike and got a perfect one only to have it nicked from our garage. Then I bought a mountain bike from a cheap bike place and started to ride to work on it. I then decided that I would like a hybrid and it is so much easier to ride a real joy but I seem to have been bitten by the bug now and i have just acquired a racing bike!

Gawd knows what is going to happen on that as I fell off regularly for the first 5 weeks at least once a week when I got the hybrid.

When am I going to learn to grow old gracefully - actually I much prefer to grow old disgracefully - ha!

[Jiffy]

So vava what bike did you get in the end? Sounds like you're having a whale of a time. Have you thought about joining the CTC? worth it for the third party insurance alone IMHO.

[vava]

I got an Orbea - I am scared of it at the mo - dearly beloved it just changing the pedals as I don't intend to use cleats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooo - CTC just looked it up will have a read thanks for the info!

[Jiffy]

Orbea Eh? A bit of Spanish soul! Why on earth aren't you using cleats? I even use cleats on my pop to the shops bike.

[vava]

'im indoors said you have to clip yourself into the pedals and you can't get your feet out quickly - I had visions of falling off again but staying attached to the bike - I know nowt - how do they work?

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

What kind of pedals do you have vava, they all engage slightly differently, but its a rather natural motion getting in and out it does take some practice. Maybe I can give you more advice on once I find out what kind they are. But generally if you have a bike stand you should practice clipping in and out stationary before you start moving.

[vava]

they are shimano ones - they look really small..... all shiny metal

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

or more like these?



Regardless on the pedal theres a 3mm allen bolt and it tightens and loosens the retention (how easy it is to get in and out). For your first day loosen it up all the way so its nearly effortless to get out. Really just orientate yourself with where the cleat is on your shoe so you know where to stomp in. But like I said if possible figure out how to do it stationary, it'll make you feel more comfortable. Really its just pressing in and twisting your foot.

Once you got that down just take your time practicing getting in and out moving very slowly so you know what to do when you stop.

Warning you may fall your first few times, but you'll be going really slow so you'll only get a lil bruised up. I didn't fall my first time so don't listen to everyone who says you will.

It seems scary but I'll guarantee you'll love it once you get a hang of it. It makes going up hills so easy.

[vava]

it's the second ones I have - I saw a tighten and loosen allen key but I thought that was just to get them to clip on - that is a fab idea to loosen them till I get used to them - off to have a look for some cycle shoes now! Thanks so much for your advice - much appreciated.

[snaffler]

Massive cycling fan I moved from GTs a few years ago to TREKS much better build and service from TREK dealer.

Currently have a TREK 6500 2006 model love it very reliable and good, live in Somerset so the options for good bike rides are endless. We live close to Longleat forest so plenty of tracks through there as well as endless abandoned quarry's around Somerset.

[vava]

can i get any cycling shoes and then just buy the appropriate cleat to screw onto the bottom or am I looking for a specific type anyone know?

[Jiffy]

The type of pedals you have are called SPD. Broadly speaking this means you need to by Mountain Bike or touring shoes as opposed to road or racing shoes.

The main difference is that SPD shoes do allow you to be able to walk in them off the bike as the cleats are recessed. With road shoes it is difficult to walk off the bike. The received wisdom is that road shoes, having a bigger platform allow better power transfer... unless you are a racing whippet hardly a consideration. I'd prefer to be able to park my bike and pop into the shops or stop for a coffee.

As with anything it largely depends how much you want to spend. Something like Specialized Sonoma or Taho would probably suit, though they are lace up and in my opinion you should allow another fiver for lock laces.

Let us know your budget and we'll go from there.

Exciting though isn't it?

[Honest_Goodbye]

This is my new bike i got to travel to my horse too... it's electric and i've had it 11 days.. it's already broken and i'm very annoyed! Dunno what's wrong with it, need to contact the place i got it from.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

well not necessarily jiffy, it really just means what type of cleat you bolt to your shoe you can bolt any type of cleat to any type of shoe generally. SPD s being so common you can really use any type of shoe. I use more of a touring road shoe on mines. Sidis But alas the main difference between road and mountain pedals is the tread and the stiffness.

Road pedals generally have nothing but a heal on them. So walking in them is noisy and uncomfortable. Stairs are treacherous on mine, so if you wanna pop into the shops go with mountain shoes they have grip and you can actually walk in them. Much better for commuting. The really only disadvantage of them is the weight but unless you're looking to break records you're not going to notice the difference. I'd recommend mountain cos I have road shoes and always have to bring an extra pair of shoes to class in my bag.

Bear in mind there are multiple positions you can mount the cleat on your shoe. If you have a good local bike shop they should be able to help you out if not there are a ton of internet articles on how to do it.

[Jiffy]

I still say that broadly speaking there are comparatively few road shoes avaIlable that take SPDs.

You may find a few that take both Look type cleats and SPD, but they are pretty few and far between. I went through a protracted excercise earlier this year to find some new shoes and found this to be the case. I wanted SPD shoes that didn't look overtly lumpy and wouldn't look out of place on my Specialised Roubaix. In the end I went for these, which fit the bill nicely. The carbon sole is nice & stiff as well.

[vava]

Two things - i am totally amazed at how much bikes cost in the higher range and secondly husband and i have turned into total bike spotters - anorak alert!

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

I still say that broadly speaking there are comparatively few road shoes avaIlable that take SPDs.

You may find a few that take both Look type cleats and SPD, but they are pretty few and far between. I went through a protracted excercise earlier this year to find some new shoes and found this to be the case. I wanted SPD shoes that didn't look overtly lumpy and wouldn't look out of place on my Specialised Roubaix. In the end I went for these, which fit the bill nicely. The carbon sole is nice & stiff as well.

I'll be honest I didn't go searching that hard for road shoes, I was really hung up on getting Sidis and even some of their upper end road shoes will accept the old school SPD cleats.

Those specialized shoes look nice though.

[Jiffy]

Two things - i am totally amazed at how much bikes cost in the higher range and secondly husband and i have turned into total bike spotters - anorak alert!

It gets worse. You know you have it bad when you find yourself recognizing a bike rather than its owner.

It always amuses me when people express astonishment at the cost of a decent bike.

It's all relative isn't it? I'd rather spend £2000 on a nice bike that will give me years of pleasure than one or two 'fly and flop' holidays spent festering in a drunken haze by the pool, larging up my carbon footprint, which many people regard as being 'normal' or worse still an unspecified number of nights down the pub :smile:

[vava]

my amazement was completely due to ignorance - I was looking at some boardman bikes in halfords that were about 900 quid and I thought wow they are expensive but I only looked at them because they were so beautiful - then you get to the carbon frames etc. The more expensive the bikes I have had the better ride they are - does this carry on or does it peak somewhere? I suspect they are like cars as well and the more expensive the bike the more expensive spare parts are as well.

[Eat Y'self Fitter]

Its all about your cycling needs vava. The more money you drop on a bike can mean loads of things. Obviously the more expensive parts are more efficient, lighter and in some cases more reliable. But if you're not a racer or hardcore recreational cyclist you may not need all the fancy stuff and rather something that just works.

My friend's father for instance has a $2000+ titanium road bike that he hardly ever rides. Instead he rides a steel giant road bike from the 80's with down tube shifters on most rides and still averages around 20mph. Its about preference, plus different frame materials ride differently some people will swear by steel cos it absorbs the bumps better. Wheels, saddle and proper fit can make a huge difference in how something rides.

For instance if you're commuting a lot you wouldn't really want to ride a very expensive bike and scratch the shit out of it from locking it up outside, or worry about parts being stolen. I suppose it does peak for the average rider, some really expensive stuff just isn't necessary. You could have a pretty decent road bike for $1000, mountain bikes are a whole nother world now that gets expensive.

[Jiffy]

I concur. The main reason I bought a carbon fibre bike was for the ride quality and comfort. I can forget about the discomfort induced by road buzz and concentrate on the delightful agony in my legs and lungs. As a rather portly middle aged chap simply worrying about the weight would be plain daft. I can't get on with aluminium, it rattles me fillings!

My other 'utility' or popping to the shops bike is an ali hardtail MTB which I got for £200 in Halfrauds half-price sale. I'm much less worried about locking that one up outside the health food shop, but it's very nearly twice the weight of my road bike.

Unusually for Halfrauds it didn't need rebuilding either Were I to be in a job where I could cycle commute it would be perfetly adequate for that. I feel quite attached to this bike because it got me back into cycling after a break of over 20 years, so money well spent.

[vava]

I feel quite attached to this bike because it got me back into cycling after a break of over 20 years, so money well spent.

Thank gawd I am not the only one that gets attached to 'things' I am still mourning the bike I had stolen from our garage which was great for me - a perfect fit by accident as I didn't know about fitting to size etc when I bought it.

Its all about your cycling needs vava. The more money you drop on a bike can mean loads of things. Obviously the more expensive parts are more efficient, lighter and in some cases more reliable. But if you're not a racer or hardcore recreational cyclist you may not need all the fancy stuff and rather something that just works.

Do you two know this from experience or from reading or both? If from reading anything you would reccomend. Bear in mind that I only recently found out that there are two ways to turn a corner on a bike.... BUT AT LEAST I KNOW NOW!

[vava]

.

[Jiffy]

Sounds like you're really getting into it Vava. I love cycling, I managed to set of a speed camera today so I'm really chuffed.

You shouldn't be locking your elbows out though, they should have a slight bend in them. You will get used to the position but you may have to make some adjustments as you get more used to it.

BTW I can heartily recommend this cycling forum www.yacf.co.uk there are definitely some folk from your neck of the woods who are regulars.

[citameht]

Mine is a battered MTB with a cheap front suspension. I recently installed pedals with 1 lock each, and use it mostly to get to town in a timely fashion. I always have at least minor gear or brake trouble, guess I'm a poor mechanic.

[Jiffy]

Mine is a battered MTB with a cheap front suspension. I recently installed pedals with 1 lock each, and use it mostly to get to town in a timely fashion. I always have at least minor gear or brake trouble, guess I'm a poor mechanic.

Here is an excellent website for help with maintenance
http://www.parktool.com/

Once your gears and brakes are set up properly you should only have to make infrequent adjustments.

[Jiffy]

My ride, almost $600 with tax, I've prob put about 100 dollars into in little parts, pedals toe clips, straps, 2 different handlebar set ups, Conti gatorskin etc.... I'm not even close to done yet....

Very nice....quite heartwarming to see a Raleigh as well

[DavidT]

Looks good, EYF.

It if were mine, I would ditch the toestraps - lethal!

[Big Good Wolf]

I was just thinking the same thing.
Each to their own, but fixed wheel, no brakes and toe straps would be a disaster waiting to happen for me.