Need equipment for tomorrow!
Comments
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robbie the roadie wrote:willhub wrote:Ah, Is 105 mech and Tiagra any better? Thats what I have on my vanquish and it seems to be fine so far, only problem is front mech, chain keeps catching it and making annoying noises, no way of fixing it apart from buying new crang or something as when you are pedaling you can see it moving from side to side the thing the chain is on.
Erm this sounds like flex in the frame and therefore no amount of upgrades/new cranks is going to fix this.
Been having a read of this post and I don't think anyone meant to put your back up but were just stating that you sound like a complete begginer, which we all were once so is fine, but seem to have a really high average MPH and the ability to do really long rides. This is what is puzzling a few people as usually the knowledge and mileage go hand in hand.
Cheers Robbie, but where's the fun in common sense.
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Flex in the frame? I dont think it is as when we took it to halfords they looks at it and they tightened it up or something? And it seemed to not do it as much, from when I am pedaling you can see it going side to side, only on that side and on the cranks or whatever it is called what the chain is on on the front derailleur
About 4-5 years ago I started cycling, just going backwards and forwards from my house to my uncles garage when I was doing work experience, was about 4-5 miles (Which I though was far at the time), then after that I did not cycle at all for a year or so, during that time I was sat in my bedroom most of the time playing GTA V
, but I started cycling on and off again and since about may last year I've been cycling as much as I can.
I have just came back from doing 33 miles, averaged 17.2mph, got abit of back pain, stopping for a short time stopped it for a while, going to have to mess about with the seat and all that to find out whats causing it.
I dont know much, I guess I am just interested in riding it and not knowing it all, just like most car drivers are, but yea I know you have to know how to maintain your bike and I do pick stuff up, club riding should help me improve my fitness and knowledge too but they do 100+ mile rides alot, some with big hills and I cannot go on these as I dont have clipless pedals and shoes and I cant afford them, and I was told to get a granny ring? :? cant afford that, got kitted out almost apart from jersey and saddle bag. 0 -
I would suggest that you don't need clipless pedals to do 100 miles, although I concede that many people do like them, and it might make things easier. In my younger days I regularly cycled those distances without any of that stuff. I raced on bikes that felt like they were made of railway track.
I'm no expert, but your bike does look a bit tall-geared to be comfortable on sustained steep climbs. Still, you're a young-ish fellow, as I understand it, and may be able to do with fitness what old fogies like me need machinery for
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Its a compact set on mine apparently, 34 by bottom one is or something? 34 what I dont know?0
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willhub wrote:Its a compact set on mine apparently, 34 by bottom one is or something? 34 what I dont know?
34 is the number of teeth on the chainring, 34 will be the inner smallest chain ring at the front.
IMHO no reason why you can get up steep hills on that. I'd agree with the above post, you dont "need" clipless pedals to get up hills, you can use normal pedals and trainers no problems.
But... you will be more comfortable and your pedal strokes will be more efficent with a set of clipless pedals and shoes, or a set of clipped pedals and traditional cycling shoes.
If you dont have a lot of money then have a look on wiggle at the DHB range of shoes. You dont need to spend a fortune on this kinda stuff.0 -
Is that a compact crankset or compact cassette? If it's a crankset I assume it's 34 teeth on the smaller ring. In any case, how that gearing works out depends on the relative sizes of the gears on the cassette and the crank, no?
To get lower gearing you can, in principle, use a chainring with fewer teeth or a cassette cog with more. I'm afraid I'm not sufficiently mechanically minded to advise on which would be best (or even possible) on your bike. I'm sure there are folks around here who do have that expertise, however.0 -
Cant afford to tinker with the gearings atm, I think that can come after I get cycling shoews and clipless pedals.
I got these with the bike:
No good for my normal shoes though.0 -
Nothing wrong at all with those pedals, I cycled thousands of miles with that kind of pedal before I went clipless. Also your gearing sounds fine, if you are getting up the climbs no need to change it IMHO.
Cycling gear is all about what works for you and what you feel comfortable with, Are you happy like you are ? if so leave it.
remember Graeme Obree built a record breaking bike out of bits of scrap, a BMX frame and the bearings from a washing machine. its not about the bike its about the rider.
Sounds like the guys in your club are giving you good advice, but also perhaps they are a bit snobby about having the "correct" gear. I wouldnt worry to much you sound like you are doing fine, if you want to go clipless do it when you have the money to do so, dont be rushed into doing it if you cant afford it.0 -
willhub wrote:
No good for my normal shoes though.
Those are more-or-less the kinds of pedals I have, and I do use them with my normal shoes. Just ram your toes in there and get pedalling
I understand why people like clipless pedals, but decent ones with the proper shoes, etc., are not cheap. Personally, I'm not convinced of their merits either, but that might be an old-dog-new-tricks thing.
In my opinion, if you don't have a lot of money (and I certainly don't), you'd be better spending what you do have on tools and spares. You can have the fanciest pedals on earth, but you won't be going very fast if you've got two punctured wheels and can't fix them.0 -
Hmm true, well a guy from the club I go to is sending me some jerseys or something and an anorak and a map of my area with a route which is usefull, and I bought a saddle bag and another water bottle holder from chain reaction cycles which they shipped about 32 mins ago and I think thats pretty quick so hopefully should be good for saturday, going to try those other pedals tonight, see how they are.0
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Hi.
Just got my saddle pack and bottle cage, I'm sure the saddle pack can hold an inner tube, puncture kit and some tyre levers but what is the best way to fold the inner tube and put it in so that it uses the smalest amount of space possible?
Also how do I strap it onto my bike?
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uurrrrmmmmm this might be a bit leftfield, blue skies thinking, off the wall, and somewhat brainstorming, but:-
Why don't you put the tube in the pack and see which ways best.
Also, for fitting:-
If you can't just work it out, why don't you follow the instructions.
Now I've got the sarcasm out of my system, I will say, your chances of making it all fit with a used tube are a lot slimmer than they are with one straight from the box.
Although, ideally, if you can fit a boxed one in, even better, as it won't get damaged (punctured) by the other stuff in the pack.0 -
PostieJohn wrote:uurrrrmmmmm this might be a bit leftfield, blue skies thinking, off the wall, and somewhat brainstorming, but:-
Why don't you put the tube in the pack and see which ways best.
Also, for fitting:-
If you can't just work it out, why don't you follow the instructions.
Now I've got the sarcasm out of my system, I will say, your chances of making it all fit with a used tube are a lot slimmer than they are with one straight from the box.
Although, ideally, if you can fit a boxed one in, even better, as it won't get damaged (punctured) by the other stuff in the pack.
I have a new inner tube in, also I would read the instructions but there is none.0 -
probs goes around the seat post with velcro and up and over the saddle rails (under the saddle) maybe something like the pic.
We are born with the dead:
See, they return, and bring us with them.0 -
feel wrote:probs goes around the seat post with velcro and up and over the saddle rails (under the saddle) maybe something like the pic.
Thats what I just figured, got it on the seatpost but getting it on the saddle is tricky, dont know how to tighten it on, I can upside down but not the right way round.0 -
Is this thread a wind up ????
Well its given me a good laugh, well done Willhub.0 -
PostieJohn wrote:Although, ideally, if you can fit a boxed one in, even better, as it won't get damaged (punctured) by the other stuff in the pack.
Take it out of the box and wrap it tighly with cling film - that should stop other things rubbing holes into it.Carlsberg don't make cycle clothing, but if they did it would probably still not be as good as Assos0 -
Slow Downcp wrote:PostieJohn wrote:Although, ideally, if you can fit a boxed one in, even better, as it won't get damaged (punctured) by the other stuff in the pack.
Take it out of the box and wrap it tighly with cling film - that should stop other things rubbing holes into it.
Are we still talking about inner tubes or perhaps someones sex life.0 -
PostieJohn wrote:Slow Downcp wrote:PostieJohn wrote:Although, ideally, if you can fit a boxed one in, even better, as it won't get damaged (punctured) by the other stuff in the pack.
Take it out of the box and wrap it tighly with cling film - that should stop other things rubbing holes into it.
Are we still talking about inner tubes or perhaps someones sex life.
Inner tubes in Saddle bags?
Also another question, why so hard to pump a damn tyre up with a track pump???? I keep putting the damn thing in but it either does not blow up or lets more air out than can go in, my dad cant get it to work too and people at halfords seem to not get it to work too untill loads of trys.0 -
Slow down is correct, wrap them up so you wont have holes in it when you take it out to use it !!
I actually carry two and I put miune inside those white rubber gloves from hospitals, this tops them getting damaged and I can use the gloves to keep my hands clean when fitting tyres
With respect to gearing, if you have a compact you should be ok and depeneding on the number of teeth on your rear sprocket largest cog will tell you if you need larger. If you have a compact I would guess you have something like a 25 for your largest rear cog and with a compact chainset with 34 on front, and you age and fitness you should get up any hill.
With respect to shoes and clipless pedals, forget them until christmas. I have done both and as others said if they were good enough for Eddy Mercx I am sure you will cope with them for a while.0 -
Ha ha , keep it up Willhub , brillent !!!0
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Im not taking to P , sorry if it sounded like that. Youre a natrual Willhub, good luck , youve choosen an excellent sport and I really do hope you get alot of pleasure out of it.0
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everogere wrote:Im not taking to P , sorry if it sounded like that. Youre a natrual Willhub, good luck , youve choosen an excellent sport and I really do hope you get alot of pleasure out of it.
Well I am confused what are you trying to do? I dont know alot about cycling, the most I know is to do with computing and when I started learning about computers I was just a novice like I am with bicycles at the moment.0 -
everogere wrote:Is this thread a wind up ????
Well its given me a good laugh, well done Willhub.
You are not alone, everogere.0 -
Will - there is a definite knack to the use of a track pump. Once you get the hang of it, it's dead easy.willhub wrote:Also another question, why so hard to pump a damn tyre up with a track pump???? I keep putting the damn thing in but it either does not blow up or lets more air out than can go in, my dad cant get it to work too and people at halfords seem to not get it to work too untill loads of trys.
Presumably you're using presta tubes (thin spindly ones, rather that the fat mofos you find on cars)? If you're not, ignore my advice below and go and sit in the corner; the other type of valves are wee-wee easy
1. Start by removing the dustcap and the uncrew the valve screw. This will open the valve. To make sure the valve's not stuck, give the ens a quick push to let a bit of air out.
2. Then get the pump head ready. You will need to make sure the lever is like this | not like this ---- (IYSWIM).
3. Push the pump head hard and straight onto the valve, make sure you push it on as far as it will go. Once it's roughly in place, I pull up on it to make sure its a good snug fit.
4. Then pull the pump head lever out, so it's like this ---
5. The guage on your pump will tell you if you have it on correctly. If there's no reading (assuming your tyre's not flat) or if it's silly high >130, then start over again.
HTH 0 -
Willhub - thanks for keeping us all up to date with this one. I'm well impressed with how quickly you've taken to it, and it's bloody hard to wrap your head around all the gear and technical odds and sods if you don't have a friend or family member to guide you.
My suggestion is that you register on freecycle and keep your eye out for bits and bobs, maybe post a wanted ad. There are shedloads of cyclists in York (serious aswell as the everyday ones!) from what I remember living there a few years ago, so I'm sure that people will have odds and sods they can help out with.
For the mechanical aspects, I'm sure there's a bike workshop in York that you can take your bike along to and borrow tools etc. to get a little guidance - they may be able to help with a different cassette with larger sprockets instead of the expense of a compact chainset. I think that one or two people who post over on cyclechat.co.uk are involved so I'll see if I can get some details.0 -
Willhub, just keep getting out on your bike for as many miles as you can - that's the most important thing. Everything else you'll pick up as you go, hopefully you'll be riding with some people who can help with the technical elements.0
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Hey Willhub -- if you bought your track pump at Halfords, there's most likely a simple explanation why you can't get it to work: Halfords track pumps are excrement. I bought one last year because I got fed up with buying C02 cartridges for my gas inflator, and it never worked. I ended up throwing it away.
By the way -- ignore the sarcy comments. They're all a bunch of sour, middle-aged humbugs around here. Mind you, I'm a sour middle-aged humbug too. But at least I was young and keen once. Some of these guys sound like they were born aged around fifty 0
