An invitation to help me spend £70.

iclestu

I was at a little home poker game last night with some colleagues and won £90. I 'declared' £40 of it and was permitted to keep 1/2 the declared portion so I now therefore have £70 burning a hole in my pocket.

So.....

I want to spend this on bike gear. Help me put it to the best use.

I ride a reasonably new, but dubious quality, hybrid. My bike riding clothing consists of casual (non-bike specific) shorts, bright coloured football shirt and trainers - the only cycle-specific item of clothing I have are some mitts. The only 'accessories' I have are as follows:

Water bottle and cage
Track pump & 'carry along' little pump
Lock
cheapo panier set
cheapo cycle compute
cheapo multi-tool, spare tube and levers/etc.

My 'workshop' consists of a can of 3-in-one oil, a huge can of 'GUNK' engine degreasant (which cleans my chain a beauty, but I worry about whether its ok to use?) and a spanner & socket set.

So: what to buy??? what single item or combination of items is going to have the biggest impact on my cycling life? My thoughts go along the lines of:

Saddle?
Proper shorts?
Proper bike specific oils, lubes and degresants?
Bar-ends?
A helmet?
Gel-gloves?
Some better pedals? (my bike has sh1tty black plastic efforts that make me scared to atand up on in case i slip)? Don't think I have enough experience (or dosh?!) for the clipless switch?

In my position - which item/s from above would you buy? would you buy something I haven't listed?

Kieran_Burns

Lube.


To hell with it - we may as well get the lube into THIS thread as well! :shock:


Maybe a tolberone?

tlw1

hookers

iclestu

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Lube.


To hell with it - we may as well get the lube into THIS thread as well! :shock:


Maybe a tolberone?

Chamois cream iss NOT on the list!

CiB

matthew h wrote:

hookers

Bonus!!

Spend it on pedals & shoes. Until you've ridden clipped in you won't know just what a difference it makes. Ride uphill with just one leg if it takes your fancy, but for stonking along with both legs making a roughly equal contribution for most of each pedal revolution, and for that sense of being part of the bike, pedals & shoes are just the biggest jump you'll make form your black plaggy jobbies. Do it. Do it now.

fletch8928

some flowers for not declaring it all

iclestu

ChrisInBicester wrote:

matthew h wrote:

hookers

Bonus!!

Spend it on pedals & shoes. Until you've ridden clipped in you won't know just what a difference it makes. Ride uphill with just one leg if it takes your fancy, but for stonking along with both legs making a roughly equal contribution for most of each pedal revolution, and for that sense of being part of the bike, pedals & shoes are just the biggest jump you'll make form your black plaggy jobbies. Do it. Do it now.

Hmmmmmm. I hear you, but 2 concerns:

1. I have a total of about 550 miles (ever!) under my belt. I am wobbly from time to time as it is, and that is when I can put my foot down whenever I like. Could I really do it?

2. Can the switch be done for < £70? shoes and spd pedal things?

iclestu

fletch8928 wrote:

some flowers for not declaring it all

Ha I think not! The chamois cream is more likely than this!

JonS123

some shorts

CiB

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Lube.


To hell with it - we may as well get the lube into THIS thread as well! :shock:


Maybe a tolberone?

My Dad told us once how a colleague of his could identify various sweets when they were ummm.. inserted. He was a bit shaky with a Mars Bar apparently, a finger of fudge wasn't much of a problem but he really came into his own when those small round choccy things were introduced into the proceedings. Without hesitation he could correctly identify it - "Eeeh that's a Treat" came the cry.

Coat?

fletch8928

you could easily get shoes and spds for the money, if you maybe ask for a £20 loan or top up with your poker float and gamble on winning next time

CiB

iclestu wrote:

ChrisInBicester wrote:

matthew h wrote:

hookers

Bonus!!

Spend it on pedals & shoes. Until you've ridden clipped in you won't know just what a difference it makes. Ride uphill with just one leg if it takes your fancy, but for stonking along with both legs making a roughly equal contribution for most of each pedal revolution, and for that sense of being part of the bike, pedals & shoes are just the biggest jump you'll make form your black plaggy jobbies. Do it. Do it now.

Hmmmmmm. I hear you, but 2 concerns:

1. I have a total of about 550 miles (ever!) under my belt. I am wobbly from time to time as it is, and that is when I can put my foot down whenever I like. Could I really do it?

2. Can the switch be done for < £70? shoes and spd pedal things?

Under £70? Dunno at this late hour tbh. Might be.

Can you do it? Course you can. Every cyclist that uses clips has been through the OMG phase and wobbled a bit. Reality is that inserting and extracting the pied from the clip is a doddle. Practise, practise, practise, then after those 20 minutes are up get on with your life as a cyclist on the next rung.

tlw1

if you are not going for the hookers then its got to be the pedals - will be a massive improvement on your cycling

Greg T

matthew h wrote:

hookers

Hookers = PLURAL

I'm loving this thinking. 70 quid isn't going to get buy a great deal of class so given that we are working at the bottom end of the bell curve we can just go nuts and go for the quantity angle to compensate for the obvious quality problems.

I'm thinking three at twenty each and keep a tenner for chips and pop to give them, they'll be starving.

Or loads of inner tubes or whatever

fletch8928

wobbling isnt a problem with spds, unclipping left foot and leaning to the right outside tesco is. or rather it was for me :oops:

go for the majority and enjoy bicycling more

iain_j

iclestu wrote:

2. Can the switch be done for < £70? shoes and spd pedal things?

Yes.

Looking back on my Wiggle orders (crikey I've spent a lot with them over the years):

Shimano PD-M520 pedals £29.99
Shimano MT31 shoes £34.99

Corporate Camper

Ditch the football shirt, it makes you look like a Chav (IMO of course)

ince

+1 for the spd.

I have a set of Shimano PD M324 SPD that I first fitted to get used to the idea of being stuck to the bike. Has the clip on one side and the other is a normal pedal. The advantage is while in stop start traffic and while you gain you confidence you don't have to clip in. Then once on the open road clip in and away you go.

I have these on my fixed atm while I get used to the different riding style.

You also don't have to get the foot ware at the same time to use them.

UndercoverElephant

+1 for the SPD's

Chain Reaction have Shimano M520 pedals (well loved in these parts) for £20, you'll have a good pick of shoes for £50. Well worth it.

shoulder_of_orion

Another vote for SPDs. I would have gone for the hookers, but I already have SPDs.

doog442

what they say SPD's and shoes.. sorted

then some gear from here for future wins

http://www.cycle-clothing.co.uk//

Jay dubbleU

In Swindon you could get hookers and spds and still have change for the lube

Hookers and lube - (ducks)