Commuting questions.

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  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    One nice thing about the Boardman you mentioned over the Specialized Sirrus is the fact it has disc brakes. They're MUCH better in the wet than conventional brakes.

    They're mechanical discs so will need adjusting now and then to keep them on top form as the pads wear (hydraulic discs don't).
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    Rolf F wrote:
    tomb353 wrote:
    be prepared for the fact that 22 miles a day on a bike will not be free commuting, you'll go through tyres, chains, cassettes, clothing etc in a way that you would never do for leisure use. I typically spend £20-30 per month minimum.

    I'd struggle to get anywhere near that sort of spend per month - currently doing anywhere between 19 and 50 miles a day. In 18 months and 5600 miles I've worn away 3 chains, one cassette, one gear cable, a set and a half of brake pads and two knobbly tyres (replaced by slicks which will last 1000s of miles). Cost for that lot is less than £100. Clothes for commuting come from Aldi or Lidl and were very cheap to buy and seem to be pretty indestructable. I'd say more like £5 a month. Hard to be precise as I am increasing the mileage all the time but even if you commute all year round (and it is winter that wears bikes out), as long as you keep things clean, it really shouldn't cost much to run.

    I spoke to a guy at work and he cycles about 18 miles per day and he has had his road bike for 3 years and is still on the same chain and cassette. I was a bit surprised by the £20-£30 minimum per month.

    I figure when the inital cost is out of the way then its at most a tenner a month on average unless something serious goes wrong.
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    unixnerd wrote:
    One nice thing about the Boardman you mentioned over the Specialized Sirrus is the fact it has disc brakes. They're MUCH better in the wet than conventional brakes.

    They're mechanical discs so will need adjusting now and then to keep them on top form as the pads wear (hydraulic discs don't).

    Disc brakes defiantely sound good and a must for a hybrid, hydraulic brakes seem like an uneccesary expense and the upkeep is significantly higher from what I have read/been told .

    My return journey this morning took about 45 minutes, which I don't think is too bad for 11 miles.

    I was starting to get some pretty serious pain at the top of my back/shoulders, directly below my head. I take it this has something to do with the riding position or something I just need to get used to?

    I am so indecisiive, I believe my cycle to work scheme is now going to start back in July so its back looking at Halfords (or what they can order in) stuff again!!!

    I still can't decide between road, hybrid and CX!! Nightmare!! :roll:

    Due to the wider tyres on the CX's I take it they are slower than a hybrid? or do the drop bars compenste for that?
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    If you find you're trying to crane your neck upwards to see the road ahead then the handlebars are too low.

    Unlike old quill stem bikes modern bikes have an A-Head system, it's a pain to adjust and I'm not a fan of them. Most stem have an angle up/down, so you can flip them to lower or raise the bars.

    If there's not enough adjustment you can buy a head extender cheaply, I had to do this on my last mountain bike at the handlebars were way too low.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    aldric wrote:
    unixnerd wrote:
    One nice thing about the Boardman you mentioned over the Specialized Sirrus is the fact it has disc brakes. They're MUCH better in the wet than conventional brakes.

    They're mechanical discs so will need adjusting now and then to keep them on top form as the pads wear (hydraulic discs don't).

    Disc brakes defiantely sound good and a must for a hybrid, hydraulic brakes seem like an uneccesary expense and the upkeep is significantly higher from what I have read/been told .

    My MTB has hydraulic discs and covered a good 4000 miles and I haven't done a thing to them aside from replace pads. Problems tend to occur when people meddle with them.

    They are certainly not a no brainer though. In the dry they are no better than rim brakes and I do suffer from irritating squeals and other noise from time to time which I can never eradicate permanently. Isn't a problem off road but irritating on road.

    Weight is also an issue. A road bike front wheel and tyre and inner tube should weigh well under 3lbs. My MTB front wheel, tyre, inner tube and brake disc weighs 5lbs. That's quite a lot.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • davis
    davis Posts: 2,506
    Is there anything which is causing you to tilt your head up while riding?
    This could be:

    Handlebars too low, or saddle too high. Bike fit is the most probable cause I reckon. Maybe you're too stretched out.
    You wear sunglasses/glasses, and they're blocking the upper part of your vision.
    You've got a helmet with a visor, blocking your vision.
    You just aren't used to it yet.
    Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    Thanks Rolf and Davis.

    I honestly don't know if it was the set-up of the Hybrid as I adjusted the sadle quickly and just went for it. I don't think I was tilting my head up etc. I won't be riding that bike again anyway as it was borrowed to give me an idea of times etc.

    To be honest I just think I wasn't used to riding for that long.

    I think I have decided to go for a full blown road bike as my entire journey can be done on a road and the increased speed is what I am looking for. I am sure I can get used to the drop bars, just got to 'man up' there :)

    I really like the look of this bike:

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 9#features

    I also like the fact that the specialized bikes come with some form of puncture resistant tyres as im sure I would change tyres on any other bike I purchased.

    Can you buy racks/panniers and mud guards to fit the specialized allez sport?


    I don't really want to spend any more than £600 as I can see me spending a few hundred on accessories. Any other specialized bikesthat are suitable/better for the price? :)
  • davis
    davis Posts: 2,506
    Yay, drops FTW!

    You can get racks and guards; I think there's a forumite here who's fitted them to an Allez... Put them on the C2W scheme too if you're going to buy them anyway.

    I've got the Specialized Armadillos too... They are tough, but they give fairly poor grip, especially in the wet. You can get other reinforced tyres too (about a billion options), but I've had ridiculous miles out of these so far.

    As for "which one's perfect", I reckon it comes down to:

    . Does it fit?
    . Does it do the job you want?
    . Does it fit?
    . Can you afford it?
    . Does it fit?
    . Do you think it's pretty?
    Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    tomb353 wrote:
    be prepared for the fact that 22 miles a day on a bike will not be free commuting, you'll go through tyres, chains, cassettes, clothing etc in a way that you would never do for leisure use. I typically spend £20-30 per month minimum.

    In a year of 30 miles per day + weekend trips I've gone through;-

    - set of wheels
    - 1 chain
    - 1 BB
    - 1 crankset
    - 2 sets brake pads
    - 1 rear cassette
    - 1 tyre + 2 tubes

    I suppose that's about £150 when I total it, up so between 12 - 15 pounds per month.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    edited June 2010
    davis wrote:
    Yay, drops FTW!

    You can get racks and guards; I think there's a forumite here who's fitted them to an Allez... Put them on the C2W scheme too if you're going to buy them anyway.

    I've got the Specialized Armadillos too... They are tough, but they give fairly poor grip, especially in the wet. You can get other reinforced tyres too (about a billion options), but I've had ridiculous miles out of these so far.

    As for "which one's perfect", I reckon it comes down to:

    . Does it fit?
    . Does it do the job you want?
    . Does it fit?
    . Can you afford it?
    . Does it fit?
    . Do you think it's pretty?

    The Allez sport comes with spezialised Mondo Sport, which I have read up on and they don't sound that great. The Armadillos that you have are defiantely an upgrade which might be required!

    I take it this is the type of rack that will fit on to a road bike as it fixed on to the seatpost.

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_236256

    and some mudguards?

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_210163

    Will the seatpost have enough room for all of this? Do lights go on seatposts as well these days?

    I love the look of the Allez Sport double 2010 and I am sure it will fit :)

    My only concern is that I am thinking of doing this throughout the year and am not sure if it is strong enough for the winter weather / abuse it will have being on the road all year.
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    gbsahne wrote:
    tomb353 wrote:
    be prepared for the fact that 22 miles a day on a bike will not be free commuting, you'll go through tyres, chains, cassettes, clothing etc in a way that you would never do for leisure use. I typically spend £20-30 per month minimum.

    In a year of 30 miles per day + weekend trips I've gone through;-

    - set of wheels
    - 1 chain
    - 1 BB
    - 1 crankset
    - 2 sets brake pads
    - 1 rear cassette
    - 1 tyre + 2 tubes

    I suppose that's about £150 when I total it, up so between 12 - 15 pounds per month.

    That doesn't sound too bad at all. I wouldn't be doing as many miles but even at a max of £15 per month is only a quarter a tank of petrol.
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    aldric wrote:
    The Allez sport comes with spezialised Mondo Sport, which I have read up on and they don't sound that great. The Armadillos that you have are defiantely an upgrade which might be required!

    I take it this is the type of rack that will fit on to a roak bike as it fixed on to the seatpost.

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_236256

    and some mudguards?

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_210163

    Will the seatpost have enough room for all of this? Do lights go on seatposts as well these days?

    I love the look of the Allez Sport double 2010 and I am sure it will fit :)

    My only concern is that I am thinking of doing this throughout the year and am not sure if it is strong enough for the winter weather / abuse it will have being on the road all year.

    The rack and mudguards you quote look fine. There are loads of mudguards for bikes without mounts for them (I have a set of SKS Raceblades that are well good, for what it's worth). You should have enough room on your seatpost- the mudguards don't attach to your seatpost, so it's only the rack; you can attach your rear light to the rack if there's no room on your post for it or if people can't see it because your rack's in the way. Some rear lights come with fittings for seat-stays as well, or can just be clipped onto your helmet/clothes/etc.

    If your work clothes are going to be taken into work on other days though, do you actually think you'll need a rack anyway? You might just prefer a back-pack or courier bag; it's personal choice really, but depends in part on whether you want your bike to be heabier, or yourself to be heavier.

    As for the bike lasting through winter, I'd have thought it would be alright; I mean, your drivetrain/brakes etc will take a bit of abuse but that's what they're there for; and it's also an excuse to buy some bling when they wear out. I wouldn't expect the frame to break just because you ride it in winter though.
    Meta
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Nice thing about a rack and panniers (which normally detach easily) is that you're not having to cycle with a load on your back. I always found that irritating. Seems silly to carry weight on your back when the bike can do it for you!
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    Great info guys, especially on the mudguards, I didn't realise the different ways that they could fit. I also didn't realise all the different light fittings, thanks.

    The SKS raceguards look good, and are available through halfords, but more expensive than everywhere else... :roll:

    On reflection I am being a bit OTT thinking of the panniers because I can easily take in enough clothes etc in to work on the days when I will be using the wife's car.

    Thinking about it, all I would likely be taking is my lunch and a backpack would definately be more than enough for that. I would have thought it would be a bit of a pain using a backpack bouncing up and down on your back.

    Hmmmm EUREKA!!! I could just buy the ingredients for my lunch from the supermarket when I am at work and make it there. Why didn't I think of that before! :roll:

    Does anyone know how the vouchers work with Halfords? Obviously I will want them to order in the bike (that they don't usually stock) and deliver it to the store. Can you order accessories online and get them delivered to the shop and get them put on the bike for you to pick it up?

    I know Halfords get a bad reputation, but do you think the 3 year care plan is worthwhile? £39 and I guess if used through the ctw scheme is only really costing £23 or so.

    Sorry for all the questions, I am off on holiday soon and the scheme should be up and running when I get back so I want to be ready to go!
  • nich
    nich Posts: 888
    Do be careful with the the SKS raceguards, they don't always play nicely ;)

    I've an old allez running 23mm tires. They fitted ok with the original Sora brakes, but I've had trouble fitting them when I upgraded to 105s.

    I can't get the front to fit at all without rubbing the tire (so can't use it), and the rear only fits without rubbing when I leave off the end guard (which is good enough). Just a word of warning as there may be better options :)
  • itsbruce
    itsbruce Posts: 221
    aldric wrote:
    I know Halfords get a bad reputation, but do you think the 3 year care plan is worthwhile?

    No. Halfords staff are not trained to an adequate level to be able to service your bike reliably. Save the money on the basic price of the bike via the scheme, but choose a decent shop for doing the servicing.
    Charge Mixer (2010)
    Schwinn Madison (2009)
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    nich wrote:
    Do be careful with the the SKS raceguards, they don't always play nicely ;)

    I've an old allez running 23mm tires. They fitted ok with the original Sora brakes, but I've had trouble fitting them when I upgraded to 105s.

    I can't get the front to fit at all without rubbing the tire (so can't use it), and the rear only fits without rubbing when I leave off the end guard (which is good enough). Just a word of warning as there may be better options :)

    +1 you're not alone, I have the same issue with the SKS raceblades; back works fine but not amount of adjustment on the front seems to work.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    re Panniers. I refuse to put a pannier rack on my poor MTB which already suffers the indignity of slicks so I've always used a rucksack. Now I am using my tourer but I've stripped the rack and mudguards off for the summer it for sportive duty so still using rucksack. I tend to have virtually nothing in it in the morning aside from a couple of bits of clothes but where it comes in is that I can go into town at lunchtime and fill it with shopping and still go for an extended commute home in the evening. Dragging a pannier bag around the shops would be less convenient. (Not that I feel strongly either way over which is best - just that a decent rucksack is worth trying before you add the weight and bulk of the pannier and rack to the bike.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    Thanks again guys, it looks like the SKS guards need serious consideration as they clearly don't work for every bike and I have decided I will not be getting a rack as its a waste of money for me due to needing to carry virtually nothing.

    When my scheme opens up in July I have pretty much decided to get the Boardman Road bike comp @ £699

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65710#dtab.

    This bike seems to have some much better quality equipment on board compared to the other bikes I have looked at for the same price. I imagine I will have much less haslse with Halfords providing this as they should at least have some experience in building these bikes.

    I have also decided that £699 is my limit due to having to purchase a lot of accessories as well (guards, mini pump + holder, bottle holder, track pump, lights, clothing etc etc!)

    Good or bad decision for my all year round commute of 22 miles?
  • neil_sheehan2000
    neil_sheehan2000 Posts: 529
    Boardman Comp seems to be a sound choice, and a good price.

    I suppose it's possible that Halfords might be able to get it to you quicker than something else that they don't normally supply (though I wouldn't bet on it).

    I also wouldn't count on them setting it up / putting it together any better than any other bike- it's not like any other bike is significantly different. Still, no need to turn this into a Halfords-bashing thread...
    Meta
  • Norky
    Norky Posts: 276
    aldric wrote:
    Hmmmm EUREKA!!! I could just buy the ingredients for my lunch from the supermarket when I am at work and make it there. Why didn't I think of that before!

    +1 on that. I get food with a long shelf-life delivered by Ocado every 3-4 weeks, and pick up fresh stuff that'll keep in the fridge a couple of times a week. I just use rack and panniers to bring in fresh clothes and towel once a week at most. Buying rack + pannier bags is probably overkill just for a few clothes, but I use them for other stuff as well - I once carried a car battery home on the rack (the handling was... interesting).
    The above is a post in a forum on the Intertubes, and should be taken with the appropriate amount of seriousness.
  • MarjMJ
    MarjMJ Posts: 35
    aldric Hi! I'm in similar position to you and have just got my CTW voucher to spend at Halfords this week. Your story has heartened me. I have seen a women's Boardman hybrid that may fit the bill, but am having second thoughts now that I have started doing my commute which sounds similar to yours in length [though maybe not terrain - got a 6 miles of dual carriageway :( ] This is largely because I have been getting really numb hands when I am on my MTB which I am using at the moment [it can take panniers but my road bike cannot :( ] I'm just concerned I am going to end up spending a lot of dosh on a flat bar bike that is going to be NBG
    :? and in reality I would prefer something more robust, but the choice in women's cycles at Halfords does tend towards the 'do you want the sparkly streamers or not?'

    From what I can gather, you just take the voucher along to the shop and choose goods to the value of the voucher. No change is given. So spend spend spend!

    Good luck!
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    Hi MarjMJ,

    I did contact the folk at Halfords CTW scheme and they are more than happy to order bikes that they don't stock. Therefore if you don't like the selection of womens bikes that they have then I am sure you could get something else that you do like.

    The boardman women's bike does look nice and if you are after a flat bar would definately fit the bill. I borrowed a friends boardman hybrid and it rode really well, so much faster than the MTB.

    I don't envy you doing that journey on a MTB, whatever you get I am sure your commute time will come flying down.

    Good luck spending your vouchers!! I think it is going to be a case of ordering stuff in because they never seem to stock anything decent. I am thinking of getting an extra £100 for vouchers, which will give me £170 to spend on accessories as our scheme gives us 10% of value of the bike in accessories.

    Let us know what your final purchase is.
  • MarjMJ
    MarjMJ Posts: 35
    Thanks for that aldric. I'm going to go for the Boardman Hybrid comp woman's and about 100 squids of gear - mainly decent lights and a lock as have got panniers etc at mo.

    Am managing a 50 minute in run and 1hr 5 back as is uphil :( . Hands not so numb this morning as I think the fear levels of becoming another piece of roadkill are starting to subside so am gripping the bars less hard.
  • aldric
    aldric Posts: 161
    MarjMJ wrote:
    Thanks for that aldric. I'm going to go for the Boardman Hybrid comp woman's and about 100 squids of gear - mainly decent lights and a lock as have got panniers etc at mo.

    Am managing a 50 minute in run and 1hr 5 back as is uphil :( . Hands not so numb this morning as I think the fear levels of becoming another piece of roadkill are starting to subside so am gripping the bars less hard.

    Nice one, looks a nice bike :)

    I am sure you will knock about 10 minutes off the time you are doing at the moment, if so has to be worth the purchase!!

    Good luck with the accessories :)
  • MarjMJ
    MarjMJ Posts: 35
    aldric
    Getting it Friday with a big squashy saddle and some reasonably bright lights. 10 mins off the time home would be good.

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