Got a question for Cycling Plus experts? Ask it here!

rob_spedding

We're after your cycling questions - we want your queries on bike and gear buying, training, nutrition, injury, racing...basically anything about bikes and biking. You can either post your question here or email us with the subject Reader Rescue at cyclingplus@futurenet.com

Rogue Trooper 03

Hi I have an Orbea T23 and find the crankset to big to push on hills, coming from mountain biking I am used to triple chainsets. My question is this what cheapish good quality compact crankset could I put on my 2010 model without having to change the bottom bracket? Could I use 9 or 10 spd cranset as mine is 8 spd? If I can what chain would I need to run and what length?

I am riding from Glasgow to Nottingham in 3 weeks time on a charity ride for Nottingham City Neonatal Intensive Care Trust who saved the lives of my premature twin boys earlier this year and I am worried I will not be manage those Scottish hilss with the set up I have! Incidentally if anyone would like to donate a 54cm Orbea Onyx or Orca for me to do the ride on I would be eternally greatful (Hahahahaha!)?

Anyway thanks for any help you can give me.

Steve

DHTT

Campag or Shimano?

Rogue Trooper 03

It's shimano. :oops:

jeepie

I don't understand how to get the most mileage out of my SRAM cassette.

Cassettes cost loads especially if you change them each time you change a worn out chain. However, chain rotation doesn't seem possible with the new power loc SRAM links which come with their ten speed chains as they are supposed to be used only once. Can you advise what you'd do? Should you buy new power loc links every time? Or run each chain for 1500 miles and put a new one on, then wait til skipping occurs?

Bobbinogs

Jeepie wrote:

I don't understand how to get the most mileage out of my SRAM cassette.

Cassettes cost loads especially if you change them each time you change a worn out chain. However, chain rotation doesn't seem possible with the new power loc SRAM links which come with their ten speed chains as they are supposed to be used only once. Can you advise what you'd do? Should you buy new power loc links every time? Or run each chain for 1500 miles and put a new one on, then wait til skipping occurs?

Why not replace the powerlock link with a KMC missing link? They cost tuppence (for 8 & 9 sp), are really good and can be reused many times. They also have an option 10 speed which costs a few bob more.

gooch134

Hi. I own a Merida 903 road race bike. It comes with a Shimano Tiagra Groupset. It has the Shimano Clincher R500 wheels. I am looking to upgrade wheels, crank shaft, rear derailer & maybe the cassette. I will not do everything at once so may start with the wheels. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

However my question is this. Some items come with the word compact in their title(crank shafts for eg). What is the difference between compact and non compact?

Also what length Crank Shaft should I look for. They come in 170mm, 172.5mm, 175mm, 177.5 & 180mm. I am 5ft 11inch in height. I weigh 75kg. Not sure if that helps. Could you answer for me what determines the length of shaft I need. Is it my height or the bike size that determines shaft length.

My bike has a crank length of 175mm. I was never correctly fitted for this bike and think it may be a little to small for me. Could I put a 177.5mm on it. Why would I want to do that. I just need help explaining the differences & benefits.

Keith47

Hi Guys, not sure if you can help with this one.Where is the best place to buy a new outer chainring for a 2009 Boardman Comp? The original is a Truvativ Elita 50t. Can't seem to find a direct replacement so what would be the nearest equivalent?
I'd appreciate any help you can give,
Cheers,
Keith.

scoob49

Is it possible to fit sti gear shifters on a claud butler criterium 2010 model?if so do u also know how much it may cost?

Faroon

I recently underwent a VO2 Max test - this showed my VO2 Max to be 62 ml/kg/min (182 % predicted for a 35 year old male of my dimensions), which I'm certainly pleased with; but my Anaerobic Threshold (AT) is only 47%. 47% of 62 is still nearly 30, but clearly it's a limiting factor in my performance.

Do you have any advice on specific training methods to improve my AT? I'm sure that getting my AT up to 60% would allow me more aerobic time during longer rides, thus allowing me to push harder up to my VO2 Max for sprints and the finish. Any help greatly appreciated.

colonel_clink69

Hi all.

Im in a real dilema. I really want to get into road cycling but am unsure which bike to get. I have a budget of £600.
My local shop has a Trek 1.2 which i test rode and feels really good. The question is do i buy new or look second hand on the likes of ebay etc.
On ebay i have seen Trek 1.2's and Specialized Allez 1 which from what i beleive are both good starter bikes. Which one would you recommend out of the 2 as a good starting point and which would have the better running gear?

Thanks alot, any advice would be appreciated.

Andy

edlovatt

Hello,
I own a Claud Butler San Remo 2010, I am looking to upgrade it to make it lighter as it is a fairly heavy road bike. What are the best ways to take away weight?

Thanks
Ed

bulluke23

Am doing the Etape Cymru in october and after reading you article am unsure which types to put on. Was going to ride 23's but not thinking 25's, what do you think?

thanks

mog812

am looking to get my first road bike, see something on here about vikings, that looked interesting, but am now somewhat confused...
Viking Torino : http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3890.html £369.99
and then there is an (apparent) upgrade...
Viking San Marino : http://www.bikes2udirect.com/B3879.html £307.99
now, apart from the most obvious point of price, any ideas which one might be the better bike or what differences there might be?
perhaps the Marino is last years model or something...
thoughts, ideas, opinions would be great welcome.
thanks for your time.

njsteve1972

I have just bought one of these bikes.I am changing the pedals and probably saddle.I have approx £120 to spend on upgrading the bike.What do you reccomend I upgrade and to what.

tony_hutchings@btconnect.

Hi, I just wondered if cycling clubs undertake any twinning activity in the same way that towns and villages do?

Jon Bon

Hi,
About 6 weeks ago I bought my first road bike, a Ribble Sportive Blanco. Over the following weeks i only managed to get out a few times and must have done no more then 60miles on it. Then 2 weeks ago i was out on a leisurely ride and went to change up a gear and the rear mechanism hanger snapped clean in half, twisting the rear mech into the wheel and damaging it. Obviously i was extremely upset and annoyed that it happened to basically a brand new bike and thought that any repairs would surely be covered as it was clearly a mechanical failure. I called Ribble immediately but could not get through to speak to anyone for 2 days, when i eventually spoke to someone they said the earliest they could collect the bike to inspect it would be in over a weeks time so i decided to drop it off instead at my own expense (Driving all the way to Preston from Lincolnshire). The following day they called me and said that any repairs WOULD NOT be covered and that it must have been my fault as i must have knocked the rear mech at some point. I can categorically guarantee that I have not knocked the bike in any way, it is my absolute pride and joy and is stored in a basically empty double garage. I was amazed and incredibly disappointed at this. After spending over £1100 on a bike that i thought was from a reputable manufacturer I now cannot possibly afford to fork out a further few hundred on a new rear mech, wheel and labour.
Any advice on how I should now respond to this claim by Ribble would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks,

Jon

mog812

yes, you have a friend who is a camera man that works for watchdog, who would be extremely interested in this case

kdevenney

Hello everyone,

I am considering taking up cycling. I am very active but I have recently been told by a physiotherapist that if I continue with my usual sports i.e. running, hiking and climbing I am likely to ruin my knees altogether. He has recommended cycling but isn't really clued in on the sport so I need some advice. I am currently looking at a bike that is triple set. What is the difference between triple and double set? Also I am just under 5'10'' and the bike is a 56cm frame...is this too big? If you can answer any of my questions I would be so grateful.

Thanks!

KulaBen

Dear CP experts,

I've read a lot of posts recently about 'winter bikes'. Is this just another permutation on the N+1 formula, albeit that allows you to fit mudgaurds? Or will riding my road bike through the winter lead to serious damage? I've heard the salt used to grit the roads can be corrosive, but is there any basis to this?
Your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Ben

roflomusic

I recently purchased a 2012 Scott Foil 20. It's a hell of a bike. I love it. After my first ride on the bike, I cleaned up the tires to remove any debris from the rubber. What I found the following day is that somewhere along my route, I suffered a puncture and a slow leak on the rear tire/tube - the tube was flat. Lesson learned - new tube purchased. On my 2nd ride, same route, after completion did post ride cleaning of the tires.

This time, there was no leak or puncture, yet the tire/tube did not feel as firm as when I rode the bike.

Now my question. How does the rider's weight and outside temperature affect the air/rubber of the tube?

At the time of both rides -
Weight: 245 lbs. (111 kg)
Outdoor temperature: between 45-50*F (7.2-10*C)
The front tire/tube is fine. Nothing wrong.

Could my riding posture affect the tire/tube as well?

Please help! This my first big bike purchase and I love this bike. I don't want my first rides to be horrendous.

Lycra Man

I like riding longer distances - Audax rides of 200k to 600k this year - and the majority of new frames tested in Cycling Plus seem more suited to racing or shorter sportives.

Can you tell me what frames you would recommend for long distance riding. They will need space for mudguards, and a triple for the hills. Assuming I had the money, I'd like recommendations in the £500-£1000, £1000-£1500 and £2000+ ranges.

Thanks in advance,

Lycra Man

Tony Defy2

I have a 9 speed compact double 50-34 and would like to fit a 11-34 cassette on it a few threads suggest that i will need to fit a MTB mech is this right or could i just fit a medium Tiagra mech?

secretsam

Experts: 3 questions, in descending order of seriousness:

1. Wheels - under £200, for a cyclist with a weight of 90kg, looking to ride sportif of 97 miles in summer (ride to the horns)

2. Seat pillar - how much should show? Mine's barely visible 'cos I've got diddy legs (29" inside leg yet 5'9")

3. Are all the C+ testers tall? You always seem to ride size XL/58 bikes in the mag - what about us poor little shorties?????

Great mag, BTW

spamuel.taylor

Hi there,

I'm going to be doing a coast to coast bike ride in May so need to buy a road bike. I don't want to spend too much so my budget is £100 - £150 and I am looking to buy a second hand bike. I am 5 foot 6 - does anyone have any suggestions re make, model etc?

Sam

joshr96

Hey, at the minute I only cycle for the good of my own pleasure. Recently I've wanting to get into racing and I have been looking at a few local clubs I could join to aid me on the way.

So, considering I'm 15, what sort of exercises would you recommend I start to do (not all necessarily related to cycling) if I wanted to start racing?

What sort of things should I start to eat?

Thanks 8)

mog812

just a quick question...
I keep on reading about people eating bananas, as a good source of food while being out on a ride... :shock:
am I the only person in the world that can not stand these awful yellow herbs, that not only smell foul, and puts me of eating anything, but also the taste, and feel of the thing in my mouth?
I ate one, one time (recently), and it was sickening...
so enough of the rant...
Is there an alternative to the banana (including all things that might have bananas in it) ?

Thanks for your time and thoughts

Mog.

jtothec101

Hi there,

Massively new to biking, and am undertaking a massive 1000 mile charity bike ride in the summer.

I have myself a lovely new road bike, and have managed to damage the crank arm and chain ring, looking to replace them all.

I currently have a Truvativ Iso Flow 39/52, not looking to spend too much money, but one something as good if not better for around £50.

I have found RaceFace Cadence Road Chainset 39/53 - is this too big? i don't understand about the ratio's at all!

If you have any suggestions of better, or more suitable chainsets, please let me know. Really want to get back on the bike and training as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Jack

Lawrence_T

Hi,

This is my 1st post, So ill introduce myself first before asking my question.

My name is Lawrence, I'm 23 and I live in Bristol, UK. I now find myself owning a Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra 2007 700c which I use daily for a 8.5 mile commute. I have been doing this journey for roughly 6 months now.

Recently Ive been thinking about doing some off roading nothing to serious just want to travel through parks and do a few trails. So here is my question, I want to put a thicker tyres on the above bike that will allow me to travel off road with ease? Willing listen to any suggestions. I am keen to be able to make the transition quite easily for example commute during the week and off road on the weekend.

Thanks

wiganwarriors

Hi there. Running a 50/34 12/25 campag veloce set up at the moment.I was wondering if you have any recommendations on manufacturer who supplies a 12/28 cassette as campag do not appear to make this config.
regards
chris.

den1966

hi there..
reco me a good decent saddle!! , i'm a new rider and (9mths), i've a padded thing from halfords on the bike and would like to upgrade , any advice would get you an internet pint ....