Obvious Things New Cyclists Might Not Know
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Or the static deleted a part of the Internet...0
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the whole melting carbon thing is a joke surely?!?! please tell me it's a joke.... If not then Road bikes just went (yet) another notch up the pathetic scale in my book.
It must surely be a joke... carbon MTB's dont melt...I like bikes and stuff0 -
Carbon mtbs don't melt because they have a special coating to protect them from mud and dust, however they only have a shelf life of 4 years. All those buying them now will be gutted when they start degrading.0
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NapoleonD wrote:Carbon mtbs don't melt because they have a special coating to protect them from mud and dust, however they only have a shelf life of 4 years. All those buying them now will be gutted when they start degrading.
That's why previous seasons bikes are cheaper if they are carbon. For aluminium bikes it doesn't matter. They have an unlimited shelflife. It is well known that cervelo and cannondale, just melted down their unsold 2010 bikes, and used that to make their 2011 bikes.0 -
a gift from God!0
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I had a specialized tarmac with a full carbon frame for my birthday last year. I really liked it and one day went on a bike ride with some mates, they were all riding aluminium bikes even though they all owned full carbon bikes too. I asked why? to which they all replied, you shouldn't be out with your carbon bike on a day like this, it was 28 degrees and the sun was shining down hard.
Anyways we stopped for lunch at a cafe and all left our bikes outside. When we went back out the was all this squishy black stuff where my bike used to be and the groupset was all stuck inside it, I couldn't even salvage the parts because it was all just too messy. My mates couldn't stop laughing
I'll be more careful in future0 -
When selecting a gear, make sure you're not in, say, first gear on the rear derailleur, AND the large chainring at the front, as the extra friction generated may cause your carbon frame to melt.0
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.jumbojimbo wrote:After a while, especially if you're heavy handed on the brakes and change gears under load, you'll find that the cables will stretch. You can re-adjust the tension but eventually you'll need to replace the cables.
A good money saving tip is to forget the over-priced Shimano/Campagnolo cables and instead purchase a set of Ernie Ball guitar strings- you'll find that, not only are they cheaper and stronger than the cables they are replacing, but when you brake and change up/down gears in the right order you'll be able to play the riffs of popular classics such as "Iron Man", "Smoke on the Water", or even "Rocking All Over The World" once you get plenty of practice.
Especially good if you ride in a Gstring. Just make sure you shave your legs first though otherwise you won't get the full benefit.Trek 1.7 08
Unshaved newbie roadie0 -
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Sidi wrote:Especially good if you ride in a Gstring. Just make sure you shave your legs first though otherwise you won't get the full benefit.
Can't believe I missed that one!0 -
Sidi wrote:Especially good if you ride in a Gstring. Just make sure you shave your legs first though otherwise you won't get the full benefit.
Just your legs? :shock:
And how would I stop my nuts falling out?
I'm referring, of course, to the bag of mixed nuts I carry for in-ride fuel. :roll:Purveyor of "up"
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No but seriously, a lot of research has been done in to bike fit and pedaling technique:
Not a lot of people realise but the best way to ride a bike is by sitting on the saddle with you left hand on the left handlebar grip, your right hand on the right handlebar grip. One you have this mastered you can start to actually "Pedal" the bike by placing your right foot on the right pedal and the left foot on the left pedal. Then pressing the pedal down and in front of one-side at a time should get the bike moving in a forward motion.
Once you have this mastered you can cycle for anything up to 5 miles!!!
There are other techniques such as "Steering" and "Braking", but they're for advanced riders only really.0 -
are mountain bikes 4wd?0
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oscar-j wrote:apologies for hi-jacking this thread and being a tw@t-i blame the wine! no offence intended.
anyway,i should really contribute something sensible so here goes...
check your tyre pressures regularly,you'll be surprised how much they can change after a few rides
See now I bet you re using Campagnolo air. Because it's all Italian poncy it changes pressure according to how it feels at a particular time.
Use SRAM air and, although it may not be as cool on your helium/ice filled italian carbon frame it will work whenever you decide to sit on the bike and go for a ride (taking all of the above considerations into account obviously!). Some people who like slower but admittedly smoother air use Shimano but I prefer the quick albeit sharper and a bit noisier SRAM airWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
tips for a new cyclist??
NEVER EVER PUT YOUR HEAD ABOVE THE TRENCH. Death or Glory- Just another Story0 -
ddraver wrote:oscar-j wrote:apologies for hi-jacking this thread and being a tw@t-i blame the wine! no offence intended.
anyway,i should really contribute something sensible so here goes...
check your tyre pressures regularly,you'll be surprised how much they can change after a few rides
See now I bet you re using Campagnolo air. Because it's all Italian poncy it changes pressure according to how it feels at a particular time.
Use SRAM air and, although it may not be as cool on your helium/ice filled italian carbon frame it will work whenever you decide to sit on the bike and go for a ride (taking all of the above considerations into account obviously!). Some people who like slower but admittedly smoother air use Shimano but I prefer the quick albeit sharper and a bit noisier SRAM air
Yeah the Sram red air is the best but sooooo expensive. And do you really need the red air if you're not racing? Might save you 10 seconds on your TT time but Sram rival air is great value IMO, very low pressure loss over 2-3 hour rides.0 -
If you're new to cycling, you're probably looking for that magic secret which experienced cyclists all seem to know: how do I go faster, much faster?
You subscribe to cycling mags hoping to learn the secret.
You buy DVDs featuring the pros racing the grand tours, hoping to learn the secret.
You hang out on cycling forums like this, hoping to learn the secret, and some of you even consider riding audaxes hoping to learn the secret.
After all that searching and hoping, without success, you may start to think there actually is no secret. But the secret is real.
In fact, there's not just one secret, but two, which work together. And together they separate the leaders from the laggers, the winners from the losers. Master them, and you'll begin to go faster, and keep going faster, leaving others in your wake, trying to hang onto your back wheel, desperate to learns the secrets from you.
So what are these two secrets of how to go faster?
Secret No. 1
The next time you're on the bike, press really hard on the pedals.
Secret No. 2
Build on secret no. 1. Form a plan to keep pressing really hard on the pedals, to press even harder on those pedals in the future, and then put that plan into action.
The True Secret
After reading this, you may feel briefly inspired to hit the road and start putting these secrets into practice, but then instead, you grab another beer, sit down, kick back, chillax, and watch the nation's finest young entrepreneurs on The Apprentice negotiating 1p off a £375 purchase. Or maybe fettle a bit, and fit one of those anti-static straps that they used to stick under cars to supposedly prevent travel-sickness, but which are now used to prevent the dangerous build-up of static by carbon frames.
You see, only you can make things happen and put your newly discovered knowledge into action. Only you have the power to motivate yourself to press harder, go faster, keep pressing harder, and keep going faster. The true secret is you.0 -
Derailleurs were invented in the first world war as portable jockey wheel and chain based, sabotuer implements for de-railing trains and other haulage systems.
Frontt Mechk, a German, saw the potential for using them to propel an item, as opposed to halt it, and thus invented the early version of todays gear system.
The gears were changed by downtube based shifter paddles on early bikes, as a tribute to the levers in old steam trains. Campagnolo, the famous Italian makers of gearing systems, was named after "Campiug Loco", the code for "derailed locomotive" used over the wartime radio systems.
Much of this is still highly classified, and not openly available due to the equipmet being part of early special forces test kit. Would be a bit ebmarrassing if you knew your derailleurs could halt an intercity!0 -
With all this talk of air, you are missing the point.
What you need for those Paris–Roubaix-esque sections of your 5 Min. commute are some serious off-road tyre replacements.
16 trainers, each with their own mini air innertubes.
(I heard some retailers do multi-packs called "pairs")
http://flic.kr/p/9JKfgZWelcome to Hoogerland, Population: Heroes.
Danny Hart; How does he sit down with balls that big?0 -
Also,when pumping up your tyres,you must make sure the air goes all around the tyre.A common mistake is to pump it up,squeeze the top and think all is well when,in actual fact,you haven't put any into the bottom part of the tyre.0
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oscar-j wrote:Also,when pumping up your tyres,you must make sure the air goes all around the tyre.A common mistake is to pump it up,squeeze the top and think all is well when,in actual fact,you haven't put any into the bottom part of the tyre.
That's a good point. Explains why only the bottom bit goes flat!0 -
pawlo wrote:You learn most things as you go on. As for breaking in the wet, my tip is dont clean the sides ( breaking surface ) of your rims, works for me, carry a multi-tool, this has got me out of the shoot more times than i can remember, don't throw old inner tubes, cut them up - they make great chain-stay protectors, wear sun screen, do one thing every day that scares you, floss, remember compliments - forget the insults, keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements, stretch.
Awesome cd
For anyone that doesn't know get a life, how do you actually go out in a morning without listening to this inspiring tune.0 -
Andywyre wrote:pawlo wrote:You learn most things as you go on. As for breaking in the wet, my tip is dont clean the sides ( breaking surface ) of your rims, works for me, carry a multi-tool, this has got me out of the shoot more times than i can remember, don't throw old inner tubes, cut them up - they make great chain-stay protectors, wear sun screen, do one thing every day that scares you, floss, remember compliments - forget the insults, keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements, stretch.
Awesome cd
For anyone that doesn't know get a life, how do you actually go out in a morning without listening to this inspiring tune.
Lose Yourself - Eminen0 -
Don't always ride in straight lines.Eventually you WILL crash0
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Peddle Up! wrote:Sidi wrote:Especially good if you ride in a Gstring. Just make sure you shave your legs first though otherwise you won't get the full benefit.
Just your legs? :shock:
And how would I stop my nuts falling out?
I'm referring, of course, to the bag of mixed nuts I carry for in-ride fuel. :roll:
I'm sure you'll find somthing here www.nadsbikes.com I believe they have a racing team and crys of Go Nads are often heard from spectators. Trek 1.7 08
Unshaved newbie roadie0 -
Ok carbon is a common element on earth. In fact it may even be in our bodies. So on a hot day do take the opportunity to become one with your bike when body and frame diffuse into one enabling you to ride like the wind.0
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the bike doesnt make you go fast its your legs::PP lmaobest bike: raleigh avanti U6 carbon comp
10m tt pb:23:42.
25m tt pb: 1h 2min( only done 2)0 -
masterchef wrote:the bike doesnt make you go fast its your legs::PP lmao
Well, it might be for you, my legs make me go slow.0
