Evnin all..
nickp63
Posts: 5
and a Happy New Year from a new starter and complete MTB novice....
Having trawled the net over the last week, had decided to buy a Boardman Pro at £999, chap pointed out a Limited Edition model for the same money, supposedly with a slightly higher spec, picking it up on Friday. Hope i've made the right decision :?
Could do with some suggestions as to any bits or accessories|I should be buying. I'm to old to go rocketing down mountain sides so bear this in mind when making suggestions.
Accident and injury insurance I already have, along with a portable defibrillator, so you can leave those out...
Having trawled the net over the last week, had decided to buy a Boardman Pro at £999, chap pointed out a Limited Edition model for the same money, supposedly with a slightly higher spec, picking it up on Friday. Hope i've made the right decision :?
Could do with some suggestions as to any bits or accessories|I should be buying. I'm to old to go rocketing down mountain sides so bear this in mind when making suggestions.
Accident and injury insurance I already have, along with a portable defibrillator, so you can leave those out...
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some proper clothes. lycra is the best for cycling. you will also need gloves and a helmet (debatable, I'm sure..), and some proper shoes (type of shoe depends what kind of pedals you have).
camelbaks are very good. but tesco do cheaper things
puncture repair kit and basic tools for repair jobs when away from home.
rear light.
front light if you plan on night riding.
bike lock if you plan to leave your new machine anywhere.
sunglasses
cereal bars and bananas and such
bit of money for emergencies
phone
something to clean the bike with eg: brushes, bucket, washing up liquid etc.
some enthusiasm would be useful. also google your area and "cycling club" and have a look for people who can show you around and such.0 -
If you don't have the biggest budget on the planet (unlike the previous poster)
And you're not to keen on wearing lycra (most of us aren't) then just get padded baggies, if you're wanting to get started straight away then make use of these Tenn Cycling Trousers, very good value for money at £15 delivered:
http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/shopping ... asp?id=103
Next, you'll be wanting some lights for those night time adventures - if you're prepared to wait I'd suggest getting the Magicshine 900 Lumen (Around 650 in reality) off Dealextreme.com or BestOfferBuy.com for around £55 delivered:
http://www.bestofferbuy.com/haiii-ssc-p ... 27282.html
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.29489
Now in terms of 'proper shoes', some of us make use of an SPD pedal and shoes which clip into the pedals using cleats, others just stick to flat pedals and standard trainers.
If you want pedals with cleats, your best bet is to start here:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Cate ... goryID=681
If you don't want to faff around repairing a tyre which will inevitably pop again if you don't do the job correctly the first time round I suggest taking an inner tube and CO2 Pump, at that rate you'll have repaired the replaced the tube within 5 real minutes. (You'll also need tyre levers to remove the tyre from the rim and vice versa).
Hope this helps, if you need any more concise info don't be afraid to PM or post on the forum. And welcome to the forum!
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"Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs0
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+ 1 what missmarple said - a blimin good intro..
Other places to get cheap cycling gear is lidl and Aldi I highly rate the Lidl SPD shoes. I have two sets because I jet wash them and they take ages to dry. Personally I don't think halfords is particularly cheap for accessories and shops like CRC will usually get you an item within 24 hours of ordering.
Lights
I would personally suggest buying a couple of XPG or p7 torches from either of the two suppliers over the magic shine (see the what lights thread). the latest batches of MS lights seem to be a bit unreliable. But you only need high power lights if you want to go nite MTBing. You don't need anything like 700 lumen lights for ordinary riding.
Kit
You'll also need a good quality field pump and half a dozen inner tubes - its quite hard fixing a pucture in the field so most carry spare tubes. You can get cheap track pumps from argos and wilko for under a 5er. But my experience has been a false economy and I have ended up walking home too many times due to braking my pump in the field. So now I carry a Lezyne mini pump. Depending on the shox on you bike you may also need a shock pump too.0 -
Welcome to the site
Have you made the right decision in terms of the bike? Oh yes....Execellent value for money. The Ltd edition has slightly different colour scheme, and a limited number are being produced. Theres another post about them on here somewhere...
What tyres did the Boardman come with ?2010 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon
2014 De Rosa R848
Carrera TDF Ltd Commuter0 -
Much obliged for taking the time to answer, all taken on board.
Picking the bike up tomorrow, the weekend should be interesting... :shock:... been a long time since i've been on a two wheeled mode of transport without an engine hanging out from underneath....
Not sure about the Lycra bit, Linford Christie I'm not....
jmillen wrote:What tyres did the Boardman come with ?
Not sure, will know tomorrow....0 -
nickp63 wrote:Much obliged for taking the time to answer, all taken on board.
Picking the bike up tomorrow, the weekend should be interesting... :shock:... been a long time since i've been on a two wheeled mode of transport without an engine hanging out from underneath....
Not sure about the Lycra bit, Linford Christie I'm not....jmillen wrote:What tyres did the Boardman come with ?
Not sure, will know tomorrow....
Yeah don't get the lycra! You'll look like a tit, thats why no one else wears it!0 -
Lyrca belongs on the roadies 0
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Picked the bike up today, tyres are Continental Speed Kings...good or bad ?0
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good tyre those, not the best for winter, but awesome in the summer drier months.0
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Speed Kings are nice tyres, fast rolling (as the name suggests), but in my view they are summer tyres. Mine came with Speed Kings as well, but as soon as I took them off road with a bit of mud and water, they became very slippery.
You'll only know how you get on by getting out there and giving them a go, it depends alot on where/when you'll be riding
Have fun 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon
2014 De Rosa R848
Carrera TDF Ltd Commuter0 -
Any front mud catchers recommended. Had a set fitted before collection, but the front frame mounted was binding on the cables, surprised Halfords were willing to let it go out like this, unless of course this is a standard fitment...Should I be getting the bike checked over by a local bike shop, if so can someone recommend one near to Monmouth or Newport...
Ta
NickP0 -
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Yeah. Only roadies wear lycra.0 -
Roadies and some tit on a bike!
Just because some famous chap does it, doesn't mean we have to or that it is the unspeakable etiquette.0 -
missmarple wrote:Roadies and some tit on a bike!
Just because some famous chap does it, doesn't mean we have to or that it is the unspeakable etiquette.
Some famous chap who was forced to wear it by his national cycling federation for a one off race in a discipline that now bans that type of clothing. 0 -
Oi, back on topic girls!
To the OP, I've got a Boardman Pro too, (the old boring grey one though!) the standard crudcatcher mudguard snagged on my cables too, I'm now using a Cycraguard one which is better. It's got wedge things to lift the guard away from the cable.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Cycra ... 360031448/0
