B E N D E R's non sweary review site, roubaixcycling.cc (and general kit discussion)

daniel_b

bendertherobot wrote:

Ta Dan. I think it will need to be stock Sks chromo. Dry next week so no rush....

Are Tortec worth a look?

bendertherobot

They are. And might be the answer.

It's a bit of a dilemma. I should have gone for 25c tyres, it seem. But, there we are.

It's a slight oddity. I can't get a 45mm SKS through the front fork but I can get one on at the rear. That clears a 28c tyre.

So, something 40 or 42mm max looks like the option.

bendertherobot

http://i.imgur.com/OtA7ZjE.jpg

If those are Challenge Paris Roubaix 27mm, and I think they are, then I suspect those are SKS Bleumels 42mm. So that looks like the choice.

pinno

The problem with any mudguards is the clearance under the fork crown or the rear brake mount.
This is the area that has never been fully worked out. Fender nuts are useful but adds yet another mounting point.
If you do have a break in the mudguard for fork/brakes, then it's allowing crud to go upwards.
Each design has it's down sides.
In years to come, when the current trend is towards wider tyres, then clearances will be more practical. Maybe, maybe not.
Surely you will have worn out those tyres before winter anyway Bender?

daniel_b

Can you hack these badgers about to fit, or are they too model specific?

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Speedshield-Road-ALUXX-Mudguards-Fenders-Defy-Avail-_85664.htm

Claims up to 28mm tyre coverage - never seen a pair in the flesh though.

pinno

Daniel B wrote:

Can you hack these badgers about to fit, or are they too model specific?

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Speedshield-Road-ALUXX-Mudguards-Fenders-Defy-Avail-_85664.htm

Claims up to 28mm tyre coverage - never seen a pair in the flesh though.

Isn't that for dedicated eyelets though?

ayjaycee

Daniel B wrote:

Can you hack these badgers about to fit, or are they too model specific?

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Speedshield-Road-ALUXX-Mudguards-Fenders-Defy-Avail-_85664.htm

Claims up to 28mm tyre coverage - never seen a pair in the flesh though.

I fitted the previous version of those to my Specialized Allez - took a bit of McGyvering but got them on and doing the job in the end. They do let the brakes get a bit crapped up but I have never had any real problems because of it and when I have used the bike in the wet I always give the calipers a very quick and gentle hose down afterwards. Not perfect but IMHO light years ahead of Crud Road Racers or SKS Race Blades.

oldbazza

How about these?

https://www.radialcycles.co.uk/radial-a ... rds-1.html

Got these on my Light Blue Robinson fitted with 30C S-Ones.

Bit fiddly(they use small grub screws ) but work fine,only bodge was using a plate on the bottom of the rear 'guard where it fits behind the bb shell due to clearance issues.

No rattles once it's all tight though (so far! ).

daniel_b

oldbazza wrote:

How about these?

https://www.radialcycles.co.uk/radial-a ... rds-1.html

Got these on my Light Blue Robinson fitted with 30C S-Ones.

Bit fiddly(they use small grub screws ) but work fine,only bodge was using a plate on the bottom of the rear 'guard where it fits behind the bb shell due to clearance issues.

No rattles once it's all tight though (so far! ).

Those look stonking value, duly bookmarked!

bendertherobot

They do look to be just the thing!

rollemynot

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/06/30/giro-republic-lx-shoes/

More shoes, and my new bike is taking shape too.

Pretty much set on this being my wet/winter bike... at 6 2" I think a large is where I need to be...

Waiting for the 17my sales

Would be interested to read your review on your new bike!

pinno

Rollemynot wrote:

Would be interested to read your review on your new bike!

When the review for just one pair of socks is about 5 pages long, be careful what you wish for.

No offence CH.

rollemynot

Pinno wrote:

Rollemynot wrote:

Would be interested to read your review on your new bike!

When the review for just one pair of socks is about 5 pages long, be careful what you wish for.

No offence CH.

I go on holidays soon and I was looking forward to some light reading...

bendertherobot

Pinno wrote:

Rollemynot wrote:

Would be interested to read your review on your new bike!

When the review for just one pair of socks is about 5 pages long, be careful what you wish for.

No offence CH.

1326 words.

You have to admit, in a perverse way, that's pretty impressive. 8)

Less than 800 for my shoe review, slacking.

bendertherobot

Rollemynot wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

https://roubaixcycling.cc/2017/06/30/giro-republic-lx-shoes/

More shoes, and my new bike is taking shape too.

Pretty much set on this being my wet/winter bike... at 6 2" I think a large is where I need to be...

Waiting for the 17my sales

Would be interested to read your review on your new bike!

Bloody nice ride. Weight a bit. Weighs a lot now that I've added much more metal to it.

But, bloody nice comfy ride. And a nicer position than the CX bikes I've been commuting on.

pinno

Bar Le Pochette on the back, it does look good. I guess that's for the rough drafts for the reviews.
Are they Fulcrum 5 hoops?
I had the 7's for winter hoops. Solid, reliable, very strong but weighed a ton.

letap73

Yes its for the winter - but this is a bargain(and highly rated by Bender):

https://www.merlincycles.com/castelli-s ... 63309.html

bendertherobot

Pinno, yes, the 5's. The bike came with the Fulcrum DB CX which are a bit heavier, but quite nice otherwise.

Letap, great great things. Good time to invest.

bendertherobot

Page 2!

Anyhow, bought a Wahoo Bolt

pinno

bendertherobot wrote:

Page 2!

Anyhow, bought a Wahoo Bolt

It's stainless steel and it makes you happy?

daniel_b

@BTR - I know you run a bit (?) and think you have reviewed a Garmin Fenix watch in the past.

I'm not an avid runner, but whilst on holiday I have been running every, or every other day, and I think my aged Forerunner 305 might be getting to the end of it's life - had a fair bit of use in the last 9 years though, and never missed a beat, so I have my moneys worth worst case.

I have had a brief trawl, and these two popped out as potential candidates:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/suunto-ambit-3-run-gps-running-watch-with-hrm/
In Lime of course!

And:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-forerunner-230-gps-running-watch/
I think you can guess the colour.
*I can source this from Evans for circa £155.

I have a Garmin HR strap, where as the Suunto comes with it's own one.

I never run with a phone, so don't want one that relies on a mobile device, or gives me any alerts from one etc - that would be useless to me.

I used to create running programs on ye olde Garmin Training Centre, which were really useful, in that you can set a distance, and then a pace at which you want to compete that, so 400m @ 7:30 mile pace, and I could put a customised message in to pop this up on the screen of the watch, and then I knew what my target was for the next segment.
I am pretty sure Training centre is dead in the water now, and am also not sure that Garmin Connect has that custom field that TC had, so this may no longer be an option at all.

Any other suggestions that spring to mind?
Happy to consider other makes - budget up to £200 at an absolute maximum, but preferably sub £150.

bendertherobot

The Garmin. They're much of a muchness but my Mrs and Son have a 235 (the 230 with HRM) and they work very well. They also allow more activities and apps (if you want) than the Ambit.

And, I have to say, you can wear them and not look quite so much of a plum. The Ambit is huge. Given you already have the HRM for a Garmin then that will pair up anyway.

daniel_b

Thanks BTR, looks like the 230 is the winner then - just need my current one to properly die!

Found a video comparison of the two, and yes the Suunto is a whopper eh, and I have small wrists, so potentially even the Garmin will look mahoosive :?

Don't feel I can shell out for something that is not my passion (If the original is not broken) in the same way I could for a cycling related item, unless the 230 is leaps and bounds beyond the 305?

kingstongraham

I wear a 230, and it works just fine. Nothing particularly fancy but great GPS/GLONASS accuracy and the usual stuff you know from the 305, but without any routing functionality on it at all. I wear it as a watch as well, lasts a couple of weeks or so on a charge with the amount of running I am doing just now.

Will not connect to a power meter if you are ever likely to want to use it to record bike rides with a PM. Otherwise, just works.

bendertherobot

From recollection the 305 is USB only, which is a PITA. The 230 just works. Garmin Connect isn't perfect, but good. Auto link with Strava etc.

And, damn, the looks of the 305....

letap73

Every so often there is site wide 20% of the Sports Pursuit website - in which case you can get the Garmin Forerunner 920XT for less than £200. It is smaller and less robust than the Fenix 3, however, it performs many of the functions of the Fenix 3.
The Fenix 3 is awesome - so I assume the Forerunner would be great as well.

Unfortunately, it only seems to come in red and white......................

daniel_b

KingstonGraham wrote:

I wear a 230, and it works just fine. Nothing particularly fancy but great GPS/GLONASS accuracy and the usual stuff you know from the 305, but without any routing functionality on it at all. I wear it as a watch as well, lasts a couple of weeks or so on a charge with the amount of running I am doing just now.

Will not connect to a power meter if you are ever likely to want to use it to record bike rides with a PM. Otherwise, just works.

Thanks KG, I see it is alleged to morph as one of those activity things as well.
No worries on the power meter angle, I have a 1000 for that, and also a 500 floating about somewhere I think.

bendertherobot wrote:

From recollection the 305 is USB only, which is a PITA. The 230 just works. Garmin Connect isn't perfect, but good. Auto link with Strava etc.

And, damn, the looks of the 305....

Bingo, it is old style USB only, and a bit of a weird proprietary dock to charge and transfer data - I have set it up to sync across to strava though, seems to work ok for me - occasionally fails, but a re-attempt usually sorts it.

What do you mean about the looks???!


VERSUS



The latter is retro chic non?

kingstongraham

bendertherobot wrote:

From recollection the 305 is USB only, which is a PITA. The 230 just works. Garmin Connect isn't perfect, but good. Auto link with Strava etc.

And, damn, the looks of the 305....

After the 201, the 305 was positively sleek.

bendertherobot

KingstonGraham wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

From orecollection the 305 is USB only, which is a PITA. The 230 just works. Garmin Connect isn't perfect, but good. Auto link with Strava etc.

And, damn, the looks of the 305....

After the 201, the 305 was positively sleek.

I had a 101 :oops:

luv2ride

Dan. I've got the 230 (again, guess which colour?! ). It's worked well since the day I unboxed it. I did initially think the case felt quite insubtancial but has actually proved very robust in use. I like the customizable watchfaces, apps (BEER METER!), etc.
It never gets confused with my 520 when i forget to take off the watch when riding, and works seamlessly with my phone. I'd buy another.

Just make sure you get a screen protector (fiver from Amazon), and you're good...