What Extras

Beachslapper

Hi All

I have just upgraded from my Hardrock Sport to the Giant SCR 3 because I suddenly find road biking extremely fun.
I haven’t collected my bike yet but I'm getting £50 worth of extras with it. £20 of that will be going to a new helmet.
So my question for you is:
What extras should I be getting as I really have no idea as I am so new to road cycling?
I may also be willing to add a little extra money to the £30 left over if what you say seems like a good idea which I’m sure it will.

Thanks in advance

Rob

Lagavulin

If you don't already have one a decent track/floor pump.

alfablue

Well, I don't know what stuff you have already, but I would want some comfy mits, spare inner tube in the correct size, puncture kit, pump, tyre levers, 2 bottle cages, bottles, decent padded shorts, clipless pedals and shoes, lightweight windproof or waterproof jacket, chain lube, not necessarily in that order, think safety first (puncture kit, water bottles), then maintenance, then comfort.

Beachslapper

ok cool

im always forgetting the small but really important stuff

Beachslapper

Hi alfablue

When you say clipless pedals do you mean bogstandard pedals or cleats?

Thanks

alfablue

Hi Beachslapper, I mean clipless with cleats. It is the way to go, maybe take a couple of weeks to get used to the bike handling, then go clipless. You can get some excellent Shimano PD-M520 double-sided SPD's for £17 from Highonbikes, and some shoes such as DHB mtb shoes from Wiggle, or Specialized Soma or Taho for around £40/£45. These shoes are not proper road shoes but with the SPD cleats will allow you to walk in them when off the bike, which I think is a good way to go as a beginner. Using clipless pedas will make a world of difference to your riding.

Beachslapper

Ok

I was talking to the guy in our local bike shop and he said along the lines of dont get cleats yet but when you do dont get the spds get the road ones.

i dont know if that makes sence to you but could you please comment in some way

alfablue

Beachslapper wrote:

Ok

I was talking to the guy in our local bike shop and he said along the lines of dont get cleats yet but when you do dont get the spds get the road ones.

i dont know if that makes sence to you but could you please comment in some way

Road pedals and cleats are going to give the best performance for road cycling, however you can't really walk when off the bike when using these, whereas SPD cleats are smaller and go in a recessed sole so you can walk properly in them. I even have sone Shimano walking boots that take SPD's and genuinely double up as walking boots. My other shoes are Specialized Taho's which I can wear happily all day on and off the bike. SPD's are also double sided pedals (usually) and have easier entry exit than road pedals. I would suggest your LBS advice is only correct if you are a serious roadie concerned with out and out performance on the bike, if you are a more leisurely rider, and / or want to combine rides with shoping, pub stops, commuting or touring, then SPD are the way to go, and they are easier to use for beginners. I have been using SPD's for years and have never felt the need to go to road pedals and forego this convenience and ease of use. I would still suggest starting with SPD's if you have never used clipless before, then if you really want, graduate to road pedals and cleats if and when you get very serious about performance / ride times.

Beachslapper

Ok thanks thats exacly what i wanted

Um how hard is it to get out of them??? :P

ride_whenever

it is easy, particularly if you buy shimano ones, as they have variable tension.

I'd go for the m540 over the m520 pedals though as they have better bearings and no spanner flats so they don't chew your cranks.

Also avoid combination pedals (both flat on one side and double sided with a cage) like the plague

alfablue

Beachslapper wrote:

Ok thanks thats exacly what i wanted

Um how hard is it to get out of them??? :P

This is what I wrote on a recent thread regarding clipless versus toe clips:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12582707

A positive story:

My girlfriend started cycling 6 weeks ago, having purchased a Trek 1.2 road bike. In the last 6 weeks she has ridden 240 miles only, from being a complete novice, she is in her late 30's (don't tell her I told you that!). (I only say that because us old dogs are supposed to find it difficult to learn new tricks).

When she bought the bike the LBS manager and myself both agreed that she should ditch the toe clips that came with the bike and ride with flat pedals until she was ready for clipless. We both believe that toe clips are the worst option for a newbie. I bought her some Specialized Soma cycle shoes with a view to getting her clipless eventually (I though maybe after several months of riding).

Well yesterday I thought the time had come for her to go clipless. She was very apprehensive and said things like "well we may as well get on with the falling off thing then..." etc.

I bought her some Shimano M520 spd's (£17) and some multi-release cleats (the pedals come as standard with single release cleats, but mult-release will come out easier if you panic and just yank), fitted them, set the release on its loosest, and took her to the railway path (flat, smooth, no traffic, and at 7.00pm few other cyclists).

I told her not to even think about clipping in, just pedal, after about 50 metres one foot clipped in, then soon after the other one went in (I had obviously estimated the cleat position pretty well), then she realised how they work, then I trained her to unclip and clip back in as we went along slowly, she could do this at will within another 100 metres or so. Then I drilled her to unclip the left before coming to a stop and always leaning to the left. I rode infront, modelling the technique for her to copy, we practised this a few times.

After about 5 miles she was saying they were fabulous, and "I see the point now" and "riding is so much easier" and "I feel I can ride faster now" etc. By the end of our ride she said she was never going back to ordinary pedals. I took off the plastic platforms with reflectors on that come with these pedals and make one side flat (I had reassured her saying she could always use that side rather than clipping in, knowing she wouldn't need to do so). She is now fully fledged, and is delighted at the improvement to her cycling enjoyment.

Yes, she may have a "clipless moment" sooner or later - it is said that everyone does, but I never have. Its simply a case of developing the habit / physical memory, unclip the left, lean to the left...

Now if my novice g/f can do this, so can you. Take courage - it ain't so hard, really.

And would go for double sided SPD's personally. That way the clip is always there, no flipping, and I often ride my bike to the shops in town (2 miles) in ordinary shoes without any problem.

You only get the benefits of 360 pull/push with toe clips IF you tighten the strap up, which then means you have to bend down and release them every time you stop - this is not good.

So, in my view, dead easy to get out of if tension is set to loosest.

Beachslapper

ok cool thanks

i shall have a think

Beachslapper

How much would a jearsy help?

alfablue

A decent jersey will be very nice, increase comfort (fabric doesn't stay sweaty) and provide some rear pockets. Probably as summer is now history, maybe a long sleeved one. I would look for one with a rubberised gripper around the waist to stop it riding up.

Beachslapper

how much am i looking for a good one as i dont want to get a rubbish 1 wear it once think its a waist of time and stick it on ebay?

alfablue

How long is a piece of string?

For good quality and value, look at the DHB range from Wiggle, upwards from about £20. The vast majority of jerseys seem to be around £40-£50, but if price is no object you can go for the likes of Assos or Rapha and pay 3 figure sums.

I have been very happy with DHB, Specialized and Altura, but each jersey is different in terms of fit, fabric and design. You may want to opt for a full length or a shorter zip, and different weight fabrics depending whether you want it for warmer or colder days, or you can even get them with a windproof front, such as the DHB Rogate for winter riding. Fit varies from baggy (usually for mtb'ers) to comfort fit, or figure hugging. Rear pockets are usually elasticated but some models have a zipped pocket as well. Above all (for me) a waist gripper is important. Probably you will end up with a small wardrobe of jerseys to suit different seasons.

If you buy online, then somewhere like Wiggle is good because returns are completely painless, though all online vendors are obliged to let you return goods unused within 7 days. (When buying clothing and unsure of the sizing I often buy two sizes and send one back). Buying in the LBS is obviously better in terms of offering them support, and the service you get, and being able to try things on, though they don't always have the range of brands I am interested in.

the_hundredth_idiot

Evans have a sale on at the moment. I picked up a couple of (short-sleeved) tops for £18 each. One Pearl Izumi and the other Gore. Happy with both of them, especially at the price.

I guess they're clearing out the (short-sleeved) summer stock to replace it with (long-sleeved) winter stock.

biondino

Just reminding people of Crank Bros excellent Egg Beater and related pedals.

(I used eggbeaters on my road bike and they are so beautifully easy to use, small, light and pretty, and the cleat is recessed just like an SPD)

DonDaddyD

alfablue wrote:

How long is a piece of string?

Twice the length of half a piece of string......

sorry couldn't resist....

Anywho, having bought a Northwave jersey on sale for £32 from Evans (which is still expensive in my mind) and some other clothing from Ribble (Le Coq jersey lycra, shorts etc) I now get a large number of my cyclie clothing from this site: http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/about.asp

I am impressed with the price, quality, and sizing - I am no model and do not have a stomach you could iron things on. I reccommend everything from that site even the sale items listed as seconds, I bought a seconds jersey and I can't find evidence of where it has been damaged or made under-par. (The only thing I wouldn't reccommend is the gloves, for those I suggest these: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... t-ec011201

I recently spent £86 (from cycle-clothing) on a short sleve jersey (seconds), a long sleve jersey, baggy padded shorts, lycra shorts and sunglasses. It came in three days (not including the weekends) and am entirely happy with what I bought and doubly happy with the cost.

andrewc3142

As above, if you don't have one, a track pump is an absolute essential.

Scrumple

Lidl have long sleeve coolmax jerseys for £4.99 with all the pockets etc.
No short sleeve, BUT their running tops are coolmax and zipped collar (identical to cycle) ones.

No difference to paying almost 6 times as much.

gkerr4

i wouldn't bother with the helmet - especially not at £20 - save that for something more useful like the shoes and pedals as discussed - they make a massive difference to your riding.

also (as said) a track pump is an absolute must - make sure you can keep your tyres at a decent pressure.

good luck and enjoy the new bike!

DonDaddyD

I see wearing a helmet a lot like wearing a condom its not 100% but I have a better chance at not catching something, risking my life and in the condoms case not getting a girl pregnant wearing one than not wearing one. After, all its not like wearing a condom/helmet actually endangers my life.

To the OP, first upgrade you should consider with the SCR3 is changing those god awful tyres as they offer no puncture resistance what-so-ever! Don't wait till they wear out, save youself the pain and just purchase a pair of Continental GP4000s.

My further reccomendations on extras based on the things I have (with links where I can):

Helmet:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... t-ec011629
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gir ... t-ec010547
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Limar ... 360030608/

Jersey
Lycra shorts
Sun Glasses:
http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk/about.asp

Gloves:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... t-ec011201

Clipless Pedals and shoes: - Huge saving when bought together
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... HIMZSHR440
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productde ... HIMPEDA800

D-lock (For back wheel)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/abu ... m-ec005930

Cable lock for front wheel:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/abu ... 0-ec007497

mini-pump:- Attached to frame. Though I now need a smaller dedicated road pump.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/top ... p-ec005771

Track Pump:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bon ... p-ec008558

Saddle bag to hold the following:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/top ... s-ec008236

Lights (Front and Rear)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cat ... t-ec007957

Though I have this rear light as if you set it to scroll it looks like the red light on the front of Knightrider and that is just cool! http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cat ... t-ec009136

spare inner tube: Dependant on the wheel, you can get them from anywhere.

multi-tool with a good selection of Allen Keys
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/top ... n-ec005466

*Note I didn't buy all my stuff from Evans, a lot of the above came from my local bike shop, its just they don't have all their items listed on the internet and Evans sells a lot of what I bought.*

I bought my SCR3 2 months ago, other than 4 punctures in 3 days with the tyres that came with the bike, its been fantastic! I'm 100% happy with all the above accessories.