5 Quietly Brilliant Road Products

2

Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    Oooh.... I never thought of leaving them on the other bike
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    fat daddy wrote:
    Oooh.... I never thought of leaving them on the other bike

    Is that an epiphanic moment?
    One small step for Fat Daddy, one giant leap for... f*ck it. It started off okay but then fizzled out.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • earth
    earth Posts: 934
    PBlakeney wrote:
    earth wrote:
    I can change the spindles on my pedals for shorter ones. Or I could move my cleats inboard. Or I could leave them and the extra length of the power meter will stop my shoe from rubbing on the crank arm and squeaking.
    I didn't know such things were possible. :shock: :oops:
    Graeme Obree would approve, and my shoes are nowhere near my cranks.


    You can get pedal spindles of different lengths for Speedplay pedals, the aftermarket ones are quite cheap. More evidence that Speedplay pedals are a quietly brilliant road product. :wink:

    And +1 for cycling caps and spd cleats.
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    Vitt Qourano 46 tubs
    VeloflexL tires
    Prologo Scratch saddle
    Look 695
    Campag Red Carbon brake blocks.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    mamba80 wrote:
    Campag Red Carbon brake blocks.

    Ah, as good as Swiss stop? I'll need to replace mine soon. Frikkin winter roads.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    Wheels?

    Underrated.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    Saddles too. Oh and pedals.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    Wheels?

    Underrated.

    I'm sure you can find a pair of dustbin lids and come back to us with a review.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • joe2008
    joe2008 Posts: 1,531
    Pinno wrote:
    mamba80 wrote:
    Campag Red Carbon brake blocks.

    Ah, as good as Swiss stop? I'll need to replace mine soon. Frikkin winter roads.

    Wiggle Lifeline Blue carbon blocks are the best I've ever used; no squealing, no gripping, don't mark the rims, and don't wear out for a long time..... and they're under a fiver for 4!

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-perfor ... -pack-of-4

    Read the reviews.
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    1. BTwin Shorts - Excelent value and comfy as hell.
    2. Elite Custom cages
    3. Tortec reflector mudguards.
    4. Woolie Boolies
    5. Tiagra 4700
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    rubertoe wrote:
    1. BTwin Shorts - Excelent value and comfy as hell.
    2. Elite Custom cages
    3. Tortec reflector mudguards.
    4. Woolie Boolies
    5. Tiagra 4700
    That reminds me, i need something better to cut the stays down on my tortec reflector mudguards. I got new ones after i crumpled my rear one. I've fitted it without the plastic caps as the beefy snips i got couldn't cut the stays. Good steel those stays.

    Put the bike back into the shed after changing the tyres. My headtorch light caught the new strips and both the Vittoria hypers and the tortec guard really lit up bright. Good products, all tyres and guards should come with reflective strips IMHO.
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Tiagra 4700? How are they different from 4600? Do they still have the cable coming out the side of the shifters?
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    rubertoe wrote:
    1. BTwin Shorts - Excelent value and comfy as hell.
    2. Elite Custom cages
    3. Tortec reflector mudguards.
    4. Woolie Boolies
    5. Tiagra 4700
    That reminds me, i need something better to cut the stays down on my tortec reflector mudguards. I got new ones after i crumpled my rear one. I've fitted it without the plastic caps as the beefy snips i got couldn't cut the stays. Good steel those stays.

    Put the bike back into the shed after changing the tyres. My headtorch light caught the new strips and both the Vittoria hypers and the tortec guard really lit up bright. Good products, all tyres and guards should come with reflective strips IMHO.


    If you have any spare front pop offs, i'll be happy to take them off your hands......
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    Tiagra 4700? How are they different from 4600? Do they still have the cable coming out the side of the shifters?


    Nope. Read the reviews.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    That reminds me, i need something better to cut the stays down on my tortec reflector mudguards. I got new ones after i crumpled my rear one. I've fitted it without the plastic caps as the beefy snips i got couldn't cut the stays. Good steel those stays.

    Don't ride it with the stays untrimmed / capped. You'll invariably impale yourself at some point.

    Easiest with some decent bolt croppers. But buying some only really makes sense if you have another use for them. Know anyone you could borrow from?

    I've successfully used a Dremel with a cutting disc. You can cut and finish them accurately / neatly with the guards on the bike. Just let them cool a bit before trying to fit the caps.

    The Dremel also gets a lot of use finishing the ends of cable outers after cutting with cable cutters.

    Worst option is a hacksaw. Even with a brand new blade it takes a surprisingly long time, and ideally you need to take them off the bike and clamp the stays in a vice
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Tiagra 4700? How are they different from 4600? Do they still have the cable coming out the side of the shifters?

    No, 4700 is all under bartape. And they've changed the pull ratio and adopted the longer arm front mech so it won't play with older Tiagra stuff
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Comparing today's kit with what I had when I started riding 50 years ago:

    STI shifters
    Carbon framesets
    LED lighting / battery technology
    Fabric technology / cycling specific clothing
    GPS tech

    I was going to include clipless pedals, but I think I was similarly attached to the bike using toeclips & straps
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    keef66 wrote:
    Comparing today's kit with what I had when I started riding 50 years ago:

    Pneumatic tyres
    Brakes deploying cables
    Lycra
    Gears
    Tarmac.

    FTFY :wink:
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,243
    Yes, lights is surely one of the best changes.

    You used to have those massive lights with huge battery packs that were barely visible, broke instantly when it rained and weighed a tonne.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvIWeZj3zDUCsDWWfLGJJwtDulTabJw2SVAgvWB0jumsyBWAwIULplrQ

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSB2Jw8WmzQiby9VbfO3-kWbpBlgtLtpTCGplzZF2OTKPt7LPdE

    $_86.JPG

    (Photo's taken from keef66's stock)
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    ^^^^ Those look a lot more modern than the lights I was using as a kid.

    ETA - my dad's bike had one of those metal battery tubes that you stacked a load of D-cells into with wires feeding front and rear lights mounted on those universal light mounting brackets.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • SME
    SME Posts: 348
    Rolf F wrote:
    In this forum the only correct answer should be cake.

    1. Cake !!! (OK at stops)
    2. Jelly babies (when on the go)
    3. Flapjacks

    Room for two more?
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    ^^^^ Those look a lot more modern than the lights I was using as a kid.

    ETA - my dad's bike had one of those metal battery tubes that you stacked a load of D-cells into with wires feeding front and rear lights mounted on those universal light mounting brackets.

    I had a front wheel hub dynamo. It was actually very good in comparison with the 'Wonder lights' at the time. It was just a bit of a bulb chomper, especially when I used to like going as afst as I could downhill, to see how bright it would get. Youth eh?! :roll:
    I also had a rim powered dynamo on my commuting bike (made in Germany). It was good too apart from the obvious flaw in dynamo design.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Pinno wrote:
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvIWeZj3zDUCsDWWfLGJJwtDulTabJw2SVAgvWB0jumsyBWAwIULplrQ

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSB2Jw8WmzQiby9VbfO3-kWbpBlgtLtpTCGplzZF2OTKPt7LPdE

    $_86.JPG

    (Photo's taken from keef66's stock)

    Which would be funny except I had the earlier ones. I could only dream of a light weight plastic mounting bracket...
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    You had the earlier one's!? Posh git. We had to put up wi' candle light and there were 27 of us living n shoe box in middle o' road...
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    These ones?

    4435132867_941e0ab2dd_o.jpg

    Yup! Had them. Excellent training lights. You had to go over 16mph to power them.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    Yeah but slightly more up to date. Buggered your side walls if you didn't set them up properly and (bar reflectors), that temporary invisibility when stationary was sometimes a little unnerving.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,098
    Pinno wrote:
    temporary invisibility when stationary was sometimes a little unnerving.

    It was bl00dy scary, is what it was.

    Who remembers the Sanyo dynapower or whatever? The roller one from the late 80s?

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Pinno wrote:
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvIWeZj3zDUCsDWWfLGJJwtDulTabJw2SVAgvWB0jumsyBWAwIULplrQ

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSB2Jw8WmzQiby9VbfO3-kWbpBlgtLtpTCGplzZF2OTKPt7LPdE

    $_86.JPG

    (Photo's taken from keef66's stock)

    The scary thing about those was trying to ride on unlit roads with them - they didn't manage to light up any of the tarmac. If you were lucky they might light up a bit of whatever was next to the road before you went off it.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,196
    SecretSam wrote:
    Pinno wrote:
    temporary invisibility when stationary was sometimes a little unnerving.

    It was bl00dy scary, is what it was.

    Who remembers the Sanyo dynapower or whatever? The roller one from the late 80s?

    These one's:

    Sanyo_Dynapower_komplett_rendszer2.jpg
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!