The biking thread
- Thread starter Bram Turismo
- 4,900 comments
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- Down under
I just had my best ride today. Nothing special in terms of scenery or adventure, but I did 18km and felt as fresh as a daisy afterwards.
Rewind 4 months and I was out of breath after a short ride around the area.
Rewind 4 months and I was out of breath after a short ride around the area.
- 4,555
- Australia
I just had my best ride today. Nothing special in terms of scenery or adventure, but I did 18km and felt as fresh as a daisy afterwards.
Rewind 4 months and I was out of breath after a short ride around the area.
👍
Finding the same thing with myself, so yeah, its a great feeling.
I took my GT hardtail for a ride the other day and it was having trouble with one or two of the gear ratios, be it changing into it or staying in the gear smoothly. I still need to turn it upside down but am I right to start suspecting the front derailleur is out of whack (happens notably when I am in a high rear and change the front from 2nd to 3rd)? Is it something I can fix at home or do I take it to the shop? The GT has always had a bad habit of chewing through chains with this sort of thing, and after enjoying such a nice stint with it what with the slick tires on it and me finding some form in the saddle, I am a tad miffed.
- 30,033
- Thailand
Get yourself a small Philips screwdriver and look on the front dérailleur to see two small screws, on will adjust one way, one the other, if you can get it set so the dérailleur arm is fairly equally set around the chain for each (I'm assuming 3 gears on the crank?) gear, then it should make shifting a lot easier.
You shouldn't need to visit a shop for it, there are plenty of dérailleur adjustment guides on-line and it only requires the most basic of tools. I've just reset my old bike's front gear set as I was experiencing a similar problem.
You shouldn't need to visit a shop for it, there are plenty of dérailleur adjustment guides on-line and it only requires the most basic of tools. I've just reset my old bike's front gear set as I was experiencing a similar problem.
I just had my best ride today. Nothing special in terms of scenery or adventure, but I did 18km and felt as fresh as a daisy afterwards.
Rewind 4 months and I was out of breath after a short ride around the area.
Good work mate 👍
By the sounds of it the "H" screw needs adjusting but the indexing may need tweaking too, have a look at the below link for how it's done. Also lube the gear cables first as sticky cables will stop the gears working properly.
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/front-derailleur-adjustments
- 30,033
- Thailand
Another incident on the new bike, which after the taxi incident a month or so ago is more that I care for in a year.
I was on my way back from work, as usual, but not as usual, I thought I'd take the more mountainous to work on building strength rather than endurance muscles.
Half way back, about 20 minutes in, I was on a 2 lane road where buses are numerous and I was approaching a CNG station where the buses are known to pull out from without looking. I made sure I took a good look and spied a bus edging out. To be on the safe side and not lose my pace I checked if the next lane was clear and moved out. What I didn't account for was the huge great pit about 8 inches deep and about 6x8ft in area.
At the speed I was doing there was no way of avoiding it, it just came upon me. Had I'd had been on my old hybrid I may have got off with just a few bumps and some loose spokes or other slight damage. Being on a rigid chassis with low profile tyres made things a lot worse. I was practically thrown 4ft into the air from the end lip of this pit, which was unmarked with no signs pointing it out, and came down to the sound of two tubes breaching. I think they took the full impact which is why the bike suffered no major damage. The wheels I can't stand to inspect in case they're buckled.
I popped off the wheels and stuck them on my pack and put the rest of the frame in the boot of a taxi and rode home powered by CNG rather than my epic helpings of cards I'd been putting away during the day.
It could be a sign. My new diet requires me to abstain from aerobic exercise in order to stop burning carbs and put on some weight. I'm now out of a bike until Monday when I can visit the local shop for some new tubes.
Under normal circumstances I'd suck down a few beers and smile about it but these days normal circumstances have been thrown out of the window.
I was on my way back from work, as usual, but not as usual, I thought I'd take the more mountainous to work on building strength rather than endurance muscles.
Half way back, about 20 minutes in, I was on a 2 lane road where buses are numerous and I was approaching a CNG station where the buses are known to pull out from without looking. I made sure I took a good look and spied a bus edging out. To be on the safe side and not lose my pace I checked if the next lane was clear and moved out. What I didn't account for was the huge great pit about 8 inches deep and about 6x8ft in area.
At the speed I was doing there was no way of avoiding it, it just came upon me. Had I'd had been on my old hybrid I may have got off with just a few bumps and some loose spokes or other slight damage. Being on a rigid chassis with low profile tyres made things a lot worse. I was practically thrown 4ft into the air from the end lip of this pit, which was unmarked with no signs pointing it out, and came down to the sound of two tubes breaching. I think they took the full impact which is why the bike suffered no major damage. The wheels I can't stand to inspect in case they're buckled.
I popped off the wheels and stuck them on my pack and put the rest of the frame in the boot of a taxi and rode home powered by CNG rather than my epic helpings of cards I'd been putting away during the day.
It could be a sign. My new diet requires me to abstain from aerobic exercise in order to stop burning carbs and put on some weight. I'm now out of a bike until Monday when I can visit the local shop for some new tubes.
Under normal circumstances I'd suck down a few beers and smile about it but these days normal circumstances have been thrown out of the window.
- 30,033
- Thailand
I used to carry spare tube and a pump on my old bike but now only carry a basic bike multi tool. It was getting late and I was pissed off about losing both tubes in one incident so I just took the taxi back.
I just had a look at the wheels, they seem OK. Tyres are fine and the other parts have suffered no damage. It makes me tempted to leave a spare tube in the office as well as at home so that I can get the fix done right away but I'll take it to the shop for them to fit it, me thinks. If I'm buying the tube then the fitting will be free, and it saves covering my hallway in grease and nackering myself trying to get 110psi into the tyres with a hand pump!
I just had a look at the wheels, they seem OK. Tyres are fine and the other parts have suffered no damage. It makes me tempted to leave a spare tube in the office as well as at home so that I can get the fix done right away but I'll take it to the shop for them to fit it, me thinks. If I'm buying the tube then the fitting will be free, and it saves covering my hallway in grease and nackering myself trying to get 110psi into the tyres with a hand pump!
ExigeEvan
Premium
- 17,192
Sorry to hear about that :/ Potholes are a massive issue, and drop-hole road drains too. All great for throwing you off your bike and even worse when you're on a road bike.
Glad to see you came out unscathed though, your arse must be sore though! Hope it doesn't put you off.
Glad to see you came out unscathed though, your arse must be sore though! Hope it doesn't put you off.
- 13,827
- Down under
- 1,003
- GTP_hellnback
Took the bike to a 25km MTB event on Sunday. Only 3 weeks into having the bike, and 15+ years of NOT riding before that... did some 6-8 3km run, 30km bike, 3km run bi's around that time...
Rain on Saturday night made the event abit slippery and especially so after some 250-300 people had been over part of the tracks in earlier 10km & 18km rides.
At a guess it would've been mostly wooded single or double trail dirt riding 8-9km, rough riverside riding 4-5km and about 7km stopbank riding (on wet friggin grass = killed legs) at the end. Rest a combo of gravel/tarseal type stuff
Took 1hr 19mins 15secs... at average speed of about 19.7km/h, total distance on speedo was 25.5km, mates speedo confirmed this with his 25.54km. Winner took 1hr 5mins 4secs. So less than 15 mins behind. pretty pleased with that actually. Results not yet on the website
Legs surprisingly good today.
Rain on Saturday night made the event abit slippery and especially so after some 250-300 people had been over part of the tracks in earlier 10km & 18km rides.
At a guess it would've been mostly wooded single or double trail dirt riding 8-9km, rough riverside riding 4-5km and about 7km stopbank riding (on wet friggin grass = killed legs) at the end. Rest a combo of gravel/tarseal type stuff
Took 1hr 19mins 15secs... at average speed of about 19.7km/h, total distance on speedo was 25.5km, mates speedo confirmed this with his 25.54km. Winner took 1hr 5mins 4secs. So less than 15 mins behind. pretty pleased with that actually. Results not yet on the website
Legs surprisingly good today.
^ I'm sure it would have been 10 times more expensive if you'd bought the same stuff in the UK! My next acquisition is going to be SPD clipped in shoes and pedals although the wish list is much longer...I've even been eyeing up new frames 
Had a half decent ride last night although still not as fast as I was towards the end of last year. I heard that milk is a good recovery drink but as I don't like it and I'm a child I got chocolate milk instead, it seems to have done the trick as my legs don't feel it at all today whereas normally they'd be a bit sore.
hellnback - you're a bit quick aren't you? I'm only a couple of km/h faster than that on road!
Had a half decent ride last night although still not as fast as I was towards the end of last year. I heard that milk is a good recovery drink but as I don't like it and I'm a child I got chocolate milk instead, it seems to have done the trick as my legs don't feel it at all today whereas normally they'd be a bit sore.
hellnback - you're a bit quick aren't you? I'm only a couple of km/h faster than that on road!
- 30,033
- Thailand
I always drink chocolate milk, just during the day for the calories, about 8 cartons.
The stuff I bought would have been much more expensive in the UK, Neal.
The computer was £13, gloves £8, lights £3, buff £2, tubes £5 for two, repair stand £6 and a cup of tea thrown in for free. There are some pictures in the Show Off Your Latest Purchase thread so I won't put any up in here.
The stuff I bought would have been much more expensive in the UK, Neal.
The computer was £13, gloves £8, lights £3, buff £2, tubes £5 for two, repair stand £6 and a cup of tea thrown in for free. There are some pictures in the Show Off Your Latest Purchase thread so I won't put any up in here.
After drinking half a carton of chocolate milk my wife asked me if I had any idea how many calories I'd just drank, I didn't...turns out it was 400 
Wiped out half the work of the ride, I'm trying to achieve the opposite to you mate 
Nice stuff, a repair stand makes tinkering much easier. I did manage to get my last few inner tubes for £2.50 each although they're usually double that.
Wiped out half the work of the ride, I'm trying to achieve the opposite to you mate Nice stuff, a repair stand makes tinkering much easier. I did manage to get my last few inner tubes for £2.50 each although they're usually double that.
- 5,494
- Melbourne, Living the dream
- Aldo_GTP
Mmmm chocolate milk and calories. 
Off to spinning for the first time in ages tonight. Need to get back into doing some cardio and this is pretty much the first proper full on cardio session since October thanks to my knee. I think I'm going to die haha!
Off to spinning for the first time in ages tonight. Need to get back into doing some cardio and this is pretty much the first proper full on cardio session since October thanks to my knee. I think I'm going to die haha!
- 5,494
- Melbourne, Living the dream
- Aldo_GTP
Now my sister is out the house I didn't get pancakes today. Neither me or my dad have any idea how to do them! 
Holy flipping jebus that was hard! Was close to spewing after about 1 minute and I had to give up with about 5 minutes to go cause my knee was giving me grief. Feels great to have done some proper cardio work though!
Holy flipping jebus that was hard! Was close to spewing after about 1 minute and I had to give up with about 5 minutes to go cause my knee was giving me grief. Feels great to have done some proper cardio work though!
I'm in charge of the tossing and the missus whips up the batter...err hang on a minute.
Spinning? Sod that for a game of soldiers! Congrats on getting some pedalling done again, you need to get yourself out to GT with the Uni club...might be a bit snowy though.
Spinning? Sod that for a game of soldiers! Congrats on getting some pedalling done again, you need to get yourself out to GT with the Uni club...might be a bit snowy though.
- 5,494
- Melbourne, Living the dream
- Aldo_GTP
Haha pretty sure my heart rate was somewhere up around 4000000000 BPM and I lost 4 stone in sweat...
Yeah that would be good but there's not been any more rides planned. Will hopefully get out a bit more once my mate stops ski instructing at weekends so we can use that bike bus service that the uni used to get down to GT. 👍
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
That's the good thing about living on the road between Edinburgh and GT.....scrounging lifts is a doddle
I went 10 years without a car and still got to GT and back pretty much every weekend!
My knee is still giving me grief for that wee dunt I gave it a couple of weeks back. My be time to start wearing kneepads
What did you do to yours?And my headset is goosed.....and it's a 1.5 head tube with 1 1/8 fork steerer so I haven't even bothered checking the local bike shops. Will search online for one but if anyone has any recent experience of these things I'd be grateful for it......even when it was new I only knew of one headset that would fit. Think it's a FSA pig or something I have.....has lasted 6 or 7 years and wasn't particularly expensive from what I remember.
- 388
- Edinburgh
- daft_biker
Jammy git!
I've got a misaligned kneecap which is kinda getting better with my physio exercises and whatnot but still gets painful quite a bit.
Could be worse than living in Linlithgow though mate.....you could live in England
Hope the physio keeps improving things. Not being able ride sounds like a wee bit more of an issue than not being able to get to GT! I have dodgy knees too and am still doing the physio excercises and stretches they taught me in my teens as it seems to help.
- 24,636
- Anoka, MN
I got my bike, put it together and leaned it against the wall where it will sit for a little bit as it decided to snow.
Thing looks great and fits perfectly though, I'm probably going to bring it to the local bike shop and get some final tuning though, just to make sure it doesn't fall apart while I'm riding it.
Thing looks great and fits perfectly though, I'm probably going to bring it to the local bike shop and get some final tuning though, just to make sure it doesn't fall apart while I'm riding it.
Daftbiker - this may work but you'll need to check it matches your head tube internal diameter, there's a PDF guide in the site. http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=113
Also there is some good riding in England...just not near me
Nice one Justin 👍 Good idea getting it checked over by a local bike shop.
Also there is some good riding in England...just not near me
Nice one Justin 👍 Good idea getting it checked over by a local bike shop.
