Planet X London Road - Suitable for gravel paths/grass areas

Ben6899

mdavenport555 said:

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

joe_totale-2 said:

The orange ADV 8.9 is now available again to collect next week in M and L (as is the S CXR 8.9 that might interest the OP), part of me is very tempted, but the finance director may go off her rocker at another bike and the discomfort I felt on my few South Downs rides so far this year may simply be down to a user excess "spare tyre" issue and not finding suitable tyre pressure for 32mm rubber... Plus I did like the specs of the ADV 9.0 that didn't stay in stock long a few months back!

From your experiences would the ADV 8.9 in M be too big for a 5' 6" person with 29" inside leg? you can't get to try these bikes these days as they are all in a warehouse somewhere.

It would be too big.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

mdavenport555 said:

From your experiences would the ADV 8.9 in M be too big for a 5' 6" person with 29" inside leg? you can't get to try these bikes these days as they are all in a warehouse somewhere.

If you mean 29" cycling inseam measured by using the hardback book method, with your barefeet ~8" apart, then I think the seat post is too long on the M for you.

My cycling inseam is ~32.5" (~82.5cm), with pedal at bottom dead centre (in line with seat tube), I usually set up with ~89.5cm from pedal top to top of saddle parallel to seat tube. That only exposes ~15cm of seat post, plus ~3cm for the saddle on top of my road bike's 54cm seat tube.

Not mention you might struggle with the 385mm reach even though the stem is only 80mm, I have a long torso for my 5'10" height (my road bike has 388mm reach and 110mm stem).

mdavenport555

Just seen that halfords have got this bike in.. Its not the ADV but it seems ok.. Would you guys mind letting me know what you think please?

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/cyclocross-bikes/boardman-cxr-8.9-cyclocross-bike-528981.html

N0bodyOfTheGoat

mdavenport555 said:

Just seen that halfords have got this bike in.. Its not the ADV but it seems ok.. Would you guys mind letting me know what you think please?

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/cyclocross-bikes/boardman-cxr-8.9-cyclocross-bike-528981.html

I mentioned it in my waffly post this morning and wondered if it would peak your interest.

Spec is decent, to me the geo looks quite long/low/slack with S frame having 385mm reach; 546mm stack; 71.5 head angle. Q/R axles instead of more modern bolt thru, but that's not the end of the world. Loads of tyre/mud clearance. Without the trendy dropped seat stays it might be a harsher ride.

But with 10% British Cycling discount, it's a very decent buy for £1k for something available during the Covid bike famine.

mdavenport555

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

mdavenport555 said:

Just seen that halfords have got this bike in.. Its not the ADV but it seems ok.. Would you guys mind letting me know what you think please?

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/cyclocross-bikes/boardman-cxr-8.9-cyclocross-bike-528981.html

I mentioned it in my waffly post this morning and wondered if it would peak your interest.

Spec is decent, to me the geo looks quite long/low/slack with S frame having 385mm reach; 546mm stack; 71.5 head angle. Q/R axles instead of more modern bolt thru, but that's not the end of the world. Loads of tyre/mud clearance. Without the trendy dropped seat stays it might be a harsher ride.

But with 10% British Cycling discount, it's a very decent buy for £1k for something available during the Covid bike famine.

Sorry, I must have missed the mention to this but thanks!!

When you say geo looks quite long/low/slack what does this mean (sorry noob).. Does that mean its too big or too small for me etc?

How do I get the 10% discount - not heard of that before...?

Thanks for taking the time to post.

mdavenport555

Also any recommended pedals for it? That can be used with casual shoes and also clips?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

mdavenport555 said:

Sorry, I must have missed the mention to this but thanks!!

When you say geo looks quite long/low/slack what does this mean (sorry noob).. Does that mean its too big or too small for me etc?

How do I get the 10% discount - not heard of that before...?

Thanks for taking the time to post.

It's a fairly aggressive CX geometry, that will stretch you out a bit, which will be fine if you have a healthy body and flexible back. The S is marketed as being for riders 5'4"-5'8".

By comparison, the ADV 8.9 in small frame has less reach and more stack plus a shorter stem, so you would be more upright.

Do you currently have a road bike that fits you comfortably, that you can use as a reference for stack/reach and saddle height that works for you?

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/ starts from ~£25 per year and gets you 10% of most cycling goods at Halfords, as one of the perks.

mdavenport555

Yeah im fairly flexible and not carrying too much weight (run 2-3 times per week) but I have an old mountain bike and find I have to stretch on that a bit but no idea on the size when I purchased it as didn't look much into it..

I am 5' 6" (may 6.5") so hopefully S would be ok. I would only spend a couple of hours a week on it...

mdavenport555

Ordered it... :-) Just need a bit of help with some pedals.. The ones recommended on the other page are sold out so if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know (sorry if a really noob question).

singleton

Looks like a good choice.
I have some Shimano PD-EH500 pedals that are flat one side and have SPD cleats on the other. They work well for me, but Shimano also do another option:
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/apparel-accessories/pedal/pedal-urban.html

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Enjoy the new bike when you collect it next week, presumably after being built up for free, just in time for the May Bank Holiday weekend.

I've never used "dual use" pedals, I've been using Time Xpro 10s on my Cube for ~2 years, replacing a set of Time ATAC XS Carbons from 2006 that have now gone on the Marasa. I was using a set of Wellgo B144 flat pedals on the Marasa until around Xmas that were bought in 2008.

mdavenport555

Update on the bike. Received it and setup. Did a quick 4 miles on Friday and 11 today.

Observations are that it feels quite nice but am getting a little bit of lower back ache. I don’t feel too stretched but sometimes it’s nice to come off the hoods to the top bar to ease it a little. Is this something that will ease in time as I get used to it as not ridden a bike for a while?

Also had to get myself some padded shorts (ouch!). Just got some muddy fox ones from sports direct. Don’t think they are the best but think they will do for now unless any recommendations?

The brake/gear cable also seems to run a little on the front forks. Is this normal and should I be concerned?

I’ve got one gear that doesn’t seem to engage (gear 4 I think) and have to move the lever again. Not sure if I get gear 4 or 5 then. I’ll monitor but didn’t feel to much of a need to alter?!

Tire pressure was low when it arrived. Had to go an get a new pump as my old car valve pump didn’t fit. It said inflat to 30 to 60 so I put in 45. Is this about right for mainly road and path riding?

Let me know your thoughts.

singleton

As you haven't ridden a bike for some time, then it will take a few rides to get yourself used to sitting on a bike again. You might need to adjust the position, but it may just be down to you adapting a bit.

If you find that are permanently riding with your hands on the tops and not using the hoods or drops, then you can swap the stem for a shorter one and that may help, but I'd advise giving it a few rides before making any changes.

How high is your seat? Padded shorts are a must, I don't know anyone who rides regularly who doesn't use them.

If the brake hose is rubbing on the fork, you may want to put a bit of helicopter tape on the paint to protect it.

Does Halfords offer an adjustment service after a month of ownership? Most new bikes need a bit of time to settle and then get tightened up again, the gears are probably like that. However, I would suggest looking on YouTube for some tutorials on how to adjust your gears as it will help if you understand what's going on and can adjust it yourself in the end.

For tyre pressure, 45 psi may be just right for you, but worth taking a look at recommendations here: https://axs.sram.com/guides/tire/pressure

mdavenport555

singleton said:

Does Halfords offer an adjustment service after a month of ownership? Most new bikes need a bit of time to settle and then get tightened up again, the gears are probably like that. However, I would suggest looking on YouTube for some tutorials on how to adjust your gears as it will help if you understand what's going on and can adjust it yourself in the end.

Halfords do unlimited free safety checks so wonder if it can be covered under that...

mdavenport555

May sound like a daft question but when it comes to cleaning a bike do you just use soapy water like you would on your car (wash/wax)?

Also chain oil. Should this just be a 3 in 1 or a specific bike oil?

mdavenport555

Just found this product - any views:

Finish Line Dry Chain Lube Teflon Plus

singleton

I use muc-off stuff, I find it works, it's not too expensive and it's easy to get hold of from Halfords etc.

I use their wet lube (wet lube stays on in the wet, dry lube can wash off it you're out in rain and it's biodegradable), then I use their bike cleaner every time I clean the bike and their drive-train cleaner.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

As above, I've used Muc Off C3 Ceramic Wet for a few years having got a 1l bottle for ~£7, great for keeping drivetrain lubed, but you end up with a build up of black sludge that I clean off with their drivetrain cleaner and rinse with water periodically before drying and re-applying.

I've got a small bottle of Muc Off (ceramic c3?) dry to try on the road bike after the next clean.

As regards frame, I brush off any dried mud (my road bike barely ever sees damp roads and practically never rain) and then simply use warm water and a clean rag to wipe and another rag to dry.

Washing up liquid contains some salt, so while it might help cleaning, keep if away from the drivetrain unless you plan to clean and re-lube the chain.

elbowloh

mdavenport555 said:

Just found this product - any views:

Finish Line Dry Chain Lube Teflon Plus

It's fine, better for summer months, rather than in the wet/wintery conditions.