Newb to commuting but have the bug BAD!

CRAIGO5000

Hi guys, first post so go easy

I recently got hold of a cheap Hybrid from Evans in the Jan sale with a plan to cycle to work 7 miles each way and get fit again. The bike I bought was a Trek 7.1FX (17.5inch frame)
and I've seriously got the bug now!

Since riding back in Jan my average speed has gone from 12mph up to ~15mph but I felt that my position on the bike was all to cock being a hybrid etc. I experimented with posture and tyre pressures (700x35c) and nothing really helped until today.

Last night I went to work and set about installing a flat bar I had which was on an old MTB. The curved bar on my hybrid was a huge 600mm long and effectively turning me into a huge wind sock when upright cycling into a wind. Anyway the flatbar was 580mm long and after cutting a further 100mm off it I had a nice length flatbar that I measured from my shoulder width to make my arms parrellel when cycling. I fitted theV-brake/gears and light with cycle computer and then removed 20mm of spacers to lower the stem a little.

My posture was greatly improved and I immediately noticed I have alot more of my body over the front of the bike now. I'm certainly more aero and my posture makes it easier to push the power into the pedals withthe added toe clips.

I got into work today in record time on my 7 mile journey. It took me 23'05'' and I averaged 18.2mph. I can't believe the difference my posture has made! This is a world away from my January average of 12.5mph. Let's see if I can hold up the pace. :shock:

I've also just received my Vittoria 700x25c slick tyres with light-weight inner-tubes which according to Sheldons chart are a notch off the limit for my inner rim width, but we'll see if this also improves my performance.

I'm going to add stubby ergo bar ends and call it a day with this bike. I should have bought a road bike or cyclo-cross bike in hindsight but without things getting too expensive, I'm not willing to upgrade this bike any further. I'll ride if for a year or so and look to changing it.

Thanks,
Craig

pastryboy

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

I should have bought a road bike or cyclo-cross bike in hindsight

That's what most people who buy a hybrid end up saying.

On the plus side, if you commute a lot you'll need more than one bike anyway.

dhope

Averaging 18mph on a commute is no slouch. What's the route - no chance I can average that with the number of lights on my journey.

mikeyh54

I felt exactly the same after spending a year commuting 24 miles a day on my Trek 7.5. I'd kitted it out with everything - mudguards, panniers, lights, computer etc.

I now ride my commute on my Bianchi Via Nirone and have been amazed how little effort is required to go faster, especially up the long hill into Crystal Palace. The drop bars also give you a greater variety of hand positions.

I've kept the Trek but will only use it for commuting on the wettest winter months or for cycle rides with the Mrs. I'll also remove that rear rack which weighs a ton and keep using my Deuter Race rucksack (a great bit of kit btw).

It sounds like you've got a decent set up on your current bike. Use the money you save from your commute and not having to join a gym and perhaps get a roadie next year in the sale. Or even better, buy one using the Cycle to Work scheme through your employer.

Keep the Trek though as a winter bike. And have fun!

UndercoverElephant

dhope wrote:

Averaging 18mph on a commute is no slouch. What's the route - no chance I can average that with the number of lights on my journey.

Don't head west by any chance, do you?

unixnerd

If you're after a cheap road bike look for last years models. You can get 2010 Cannondale CAAD8s for 450 quid new! mikeyh54 is right though, keep the Trek for nasty weather and treat yourself to a nice good weather bike. You could even but chunky tyres on the hybrid and try going off road.

CRAIGO5000

Cheers for the heads up guys. It's a shame really as when I was looking at bikes for my commute I stupidly convinced myself that I needed a hybrid as I was going to spend weekends on tow paths etc. This hasn't happened so I'm left with a bike that doesn't excel in any form.

My 7 mile journey to work this morning was travelling in a NE direction. I'll be travelling SW on the way home. The route is a mixture of side roads into main roads with the odd junction and a few sets of lights that always catch me but it's 50% cycle paved.

I work in the centre of Manchester.

p.s. Here is the hybrid steed for anyone interested:






I'll be adding the new lighter tyres/tubes tonight.

UndercoverElephant

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

My 7 mile journey to work this morning was travelling in a NE direction. I'll be travelling SW on the way home.

Expect to take a step back down tonight, the wind will be a killer.

kelsen

I think you'll find there'll be very little difference in your commute time between what you have now and what you wish you'd got, so don't be too disappointed with your current set-up and certainly don't hate it! Given all the mods you've done to it, what you do have currently is a great scalping machine, if you also have the engine to go with it (and judging by your times, you certainly appear to do so).

One other thing you could do, if you haven't already, is to flip the stem upside down to get an even more aerodynamic position.

And welcome!

Butterd2

[quote="CRAIGO5000". I'll ride if for a year or so and look to changing it.
Craig[/quote]

You never change it, N+1 is the rule, you just add to it (even if it is a dirty hybrid).

Also with due respect to any proper CX'ers here most people I know who bought a CX have ended up wishing they had just got a proper road bike....

jamesco

pastryboy wrote:

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

I should have bought a road bike or cyclo-cross bike in hindsight

That's what most people who buy a hybrid end up saying.

That's what a lot of the people who get into cycling enough to post on BikeRadar end up saying, but not most people who buy hybrids! Given the state of London roads and the practicalities of using a bike to commute, a hybrid is a solid choice, IMHO.

The rack on my bike weighs 400 grammes, the mudguards keep crap off clothes, the slightly heavy Marathon Plus tyres haven't punctured in 5,000+ miles, the v-brakes work in the wet as well as the dry, and the bike itself is either too ugly or inexpensive to have ever attracted a thief

Go with what your heart says, but there's lots of advantages to hybrids too, y'know.

UndercoverElephant

jamesco wrote:

pastryboy wrote:

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

I should have bought a road bike or cyclo-cross bike in hindsight

That's what most people who buy a hybrid end up saying.

That's what a lot of the people who get into cycling enough to post on BikeRadar end up saying, but not most people who buy hybrids! Given the state of London roads and the practicalities of using a bike to commute, a hybrid is a solid choice, IMHO.

The rack on my bike weighs 400 grammes, the mudguards keep crap off clothes, the slightly heavy Marathon Plus tyres haven't punctured in 5,000+ miles, the v-brakes work in the wet as well as the dry, and the bike itself is either too ugly or inexpensive to have ever attracted a thief

Go with what your heart says, but there's lots of advantages to hybrids too, y'know.

Oooh, look, this one's still in denial.

pastryboy

In response to the last two posts, I bought a CX bike and it was 100% the right choice (apart form the awkward rear hub width on my particular one).

II use tyres from 28-35 depending on conditions, have nice drop bars and space for rack/guards, v-brakes, etc.

Not what I'd pick for a road-based commute but if you've got a mix or surfaces it's a good choice.

The only advantage a hybrid has is that, because they're popular, there's loads of cheap models around - can't say the same of CX bikes.

Wrath Rob

If you headed west to east this morning then you've probably done yourself a disservice by going more aero. The wind powering us in this morning would surely have helped you break a 20mph average if you had only left the old bars on and stayed more upright

Of course, the ride home tonight might be a different kettle of fish

jamesco

UndercoverElephant wrote:

jamesco wrote:

Go with what your heart says, but there's lots of advantages to hybrids too, y'know.

Oooh, look, this one's still in denial.

Worse than that, I'm apostate to the roadie cult (my one gathers more dust than miles)

CRAIGO5000

Yeah I'm looking forward to the ride home - I'll have a true average then. (I leave my computer to trip both legs of the journey)

The bike is quite a scalping machine. I overtake my fair share of road bikers but then I've been taken by some serious roadies too. (full lycra get up and expensive machines with legs the size of tree trunks!)

I'm just enjoying the ride and the fact that I'm not spending anywhere near what I was paying in petrol. The fact I actually get into work quicker than driving is a huge bonus. The best bit is, it's getting me and keeping me fit.

I think if I flipped the stem I might be too low? I suppose I could try it one weekend and see how it fairs.

Cheers for the welcoming posts guys. I look forward to frequenting this forum more often.

unixnerd

full lycra get up

You laugh now, give it a while and you too will be a lycra clad road warrior...... It'll start with shorts but soon you'll get the full kit even down to the silly expensive sunglasses (sorry, sports eyewear).

noodles71

I'm looking forward to my ride home tonight down Jamaica Rd/Lower Rd/Evelyn St. Murphy's Law though probably has the wind changing direction for the ride home......

If only Tower Bridge was in operation at the moment. It would have been fun if it opened up creating a mass of cyclist to all race down Jamaica Rd with a good wind to our backs.

Wrath Rob wrote:

If you headed west to east this morning then you've probably done yourself a disservice by going more aero. The wind powering us in this morning would surely have helped you break a 20mph average if you had only left the old bars on and stayed more upright

Of course, the ride home tonight might be a different kettle of fish

Fuji Mackers

Just in terms of your bike set-up, try level your seat. It shouldn't have any downward (or upward) angle on it. Perhaps try find one of the bikeradar articles about bike set-up that covers seat height, angle and position of the saddle on the rails.


Otherwise enjoy!

Finlab6

SPDs are good also and if anything easier to use

fnegroni

Fuji Mackers wrote:

Just in terms of your bike set-up, try level your seat. It shouldn't have any downward (or upward) angle on it.

Just like the saddle's shape, everyone is different.
I consistently have my saddles set up pointing up ever so slightly: much better for me.

As for the hybrid issue, IMHO a hybrid is just a bike that borrows elements from some or all classes of bikes: it has nothing to do with whether it is fast or slow, drop or flat bar etc... what matters is that it does what it is meant to, well.

CRAIGO5000

unixnerd wrote:

full lycra get up

You laugh now, give it a while and you too will be a lycra clad road warrior...... It'll start with shorts but soon you'll get the full kit even down to the silly expensive sunglasses (sorry, sports eyewear).

Well I do already wear padded cycling shorts but under my usual waterproof trousers

Interesting about the saddle. I find it's comfy for me but I'm always looking to improve the ride and experiment.

CRAIGO5000

Eurgh the wind was a pain on the way home and knocked my average to 15.5mph over the 14 miles BUT I did meet up with a mate who'd finished work at the same time and wanted to do the journey together. I was hanging about for him.

I've just completed installing the new lighter Vittoria tubes and 700x25c Vittoria Zaffiro road tyres. I was concerned by dropping so drastically from the supplied Bontrager select invert tyres (700x35c) but after measuring the inside rim width, I was happy to see a nice narrow 17mm between the walls. According to Sheldons chart, this puts 700x25c on the narrowest safe recommendation. (Matrix 750 rims supplied on a lot of the Trek FX range have an internal rim width of 17mm)

I just need to watch pressures now as these Zaffiro tyres need to be kept between 100-130psi. I'm trying 100psi first as I only weigh around 70Kg. I don't want to risk the rims with higher pressure.

fnegroni

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

I just need to watch pressures now as these Zaffiro tyres need to be kept between 100-130psi. I'm trying 100psi first as I only weigh around 70Kg. I don't want to risk the rims with higher pressure.

Unless you were to mount those on some carbon clinchers, which do have pressure limits, I wouldn't worry about the rim walls, but rather the pressure onto the rim tape: at higher pressures you need a thick enough rim tape that won't bulge through the nipple holes.

As for the tyre pressure itself, at 25c 100psi on British roads are definitely enough for all but the heaviest riders (85+ Kg), and infact might improve performance compared to higher pressure, by absorbing the road's irregularities more.

kelsen

fnegroni wrote:

CRAIGO5000 wrote:

I just need to watch pressures now as these Zaffiro tyres need to be kept between 100-130psi. I'm trying 100psi first as I only weigh around 70Kg. I don't want to risk the rims with higher pressure.

Unless you were to mount those on some carbon clinchers, which do have pressure limits, I wouldn't worry about the rim walls, but rather the pressure onto the rim tape: at higher pressures you need a thick enough rim tape that won't bulge through the nipple holes.

As for the tyre pressure itself, at 25c 100psi on British roads are definitely enough for all but the heaviest riders (85+ Kg), and infact might improve performance compared to higher pressure, by absorbing the road's irregularities more.

I think the concerns are around running narrow tyres on rims originally designed for wider tyres rather than the actual tolerance to pressure itself.

AndyManc

I don't think you have made a mistake buying a hybrid, I own a Trek 7.3 and it's a superb fast bike, I've also got panniers on it so I can get food in on the way home.

I also own a Specialized tri-cross which I rarely use, I prefer the wider bars with bar ends on the Trek to the narrow drops on the tri-cross for commuting.

Hopping over the pot-holes is far easier riding straight bars.

Your ideal would be a road bike for summer (I will investing in a Bianchi Via Narone this summer ) and keeping your hybrid for the rest of the year.


.

CRAIGO5000

A 25c tyre on my 17mm rims is safe enough according to Sheldons chart. Actually I inspected the rim and they are stamped as 622x16 so err even more on the side of caution if indeed they are 16mm inside wall width.

The new tyres are not going well. I got a pinch flat on the way in today, fixed it ont he side of the road to find it went down an hour after arriving at work. I swapped out the tube at work for a Specialized 700-20x28 and after pumping it up within 5 mins the tyre was flat again!? I removed that and inspected it and then pumped it back up to now find it's not leaking!? I'm really at a loss now and am wondering if I should just stick the 700x35s and relavent innertubes back in. I was super careful not to pinch the tubes on re-install and managed not to use a tyre lever as I didn't want to risk it.

I've lost my confidence for the journey home. It could be a long ride back...

kelsen

Could be an exposed rim hole or debris in the tyre causing the puncture. Check the rim tape is seated properly and there's nothing embedded or floating about the tyre.

These things happen so don't be disheartened. When I swapped over to a new set of tyres last month, I punctured 9 times over 2 weeks. I was really tempted to throw the tyres away but it was just a combination of bad luck, not fitting tubes properly and patches failing. It's been over 4 weeks now and fingers crossed no punctures pending.

CRAIGO5000

I'm getting a lift home and then tomorrow going to get hold of two new inner tubes and a decent hand pump that is Presta specific. (Currently using a Schrader to Presta adapter)

I thought Presta valves were better for high pressure tyres as they don't fight against you like a Schrader valve would? Is there a carryable hand pump that allows you to get 100psi in your tyres? I've looked but can't seem to find a recommended pump.

The rim tape and spokes are in 100% tip top condition. There is also no debris or foreign objects inside the tyre or rim body.

I'll bounce back, even if it's on heavy 700x35c tyres

kelsen

Then probably as you say, a pinch flat. I've had various mini pumps, and by far the best is the Topeak Mini Morph. Good balance between size and efficiency, and does actually pump to 100psi without causing you to burst a vessel thanks to its mini track pump design.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/top ... uery=morph

CRAIGO5000

I paid a visit t Decathlon seeing as they sell their tubes for 2.99 and I'm eating through mine until I get things right. I also wanted to get hands on with their hand pumps and took in a wheel to check I could get the required 100psi minimum. The plan was to buy the one you mentioned Kelsen if they weren't up to the job.

I ended up buying an SKS aluminium zoom pump for £16 rated to 144psi and it's really easy to use and a quality piece of kit compared to my Zefal pump. I now realise it was only suitable for low pressure tyres.

I also found out the issues I had with my previous install. I had pinched the tube as it failed within 5 miles originally. BUT after a repair it also failed within an hour again. I basically had three faults. I wasn't pushing the Presta valve back into the tyre end when putting the tyre on. This meant that the the part of the valve that mates to the tube was bubbled between the rim and tyre. The other main point was that my patches were not holding out and leaking air. I don't know at this stage if it's my application or the patches/glue that's at fault. What I found is that the black part of the patch (covering the hole) comes away from the tube and the pressure causes a leak in the soft orange part of the patch. I've found that when removing the clear plastic on the patches, the patch just wanted to peel completely off.

Anyway, I'm happy now as I have solid wheels for next week with new spare tubes and a different puncture repair kit should I need it.

One thing I will say about using slicks is that they offer superb grip and comfort on the road! The rubber compound is so soft compared to the Bontrager tyres supplied and cornering is much more confidence inspiring - even with the increase in pressure.

Cheers for listening to my woes! :oops: