The biking thread

Neal
I used to run my tyres way too high in an attempt to make it roll faster but it just made it uncomfortable and have less grip. I now run 35psi(ish) for offroad and 40psi(ish) for road if I can be arsed changing them.
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I looked up my optimum pressures a few days back. I've been running at 80-90psi but it still seems that the tyre sags a bit. Turns out Michelin put them at 100-135ish for good performance. :ill:

I used to run 100psi but it hurt my bum so I don't get them so hard any more but it makes a hell of a lot of difference on the road when speed is the concern!
 
W3HS
I looked up my optimum pressures a few days back. I've been running at 80-90psi but it still seems that the tyre sags a bit. Turns out Michelin put them at 100-135ish for good performance. :ill:
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My hand pump gets them to about 90 psi with some effort, I really need to get a good track pump :dopey:
 
Currently off the road thanks to naff gears, they are proving a 'mere to get set up, I'm beginning to think the cables are shot now :indiff:
 
ExigeEvan
My hand pump gets them to about 90 psi with some effort, I really need to get a good track pump :dopey:
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Or a shock pump.....they're usually good for about 300psi:scared:

Track pumps are certainly handy though.....much easier and they seem to last for ages. Probably one of my most used tools.
 
Managed to biff my derailer again :rolleyes:

This time its not the hanger, the bottom jockey wheel twists in toward the spokes slightly, still changes gear ok, just iffy on down changes.

Anyone selling a cheap sram x5?
 
MadMike'86
Managed to biff my derailer again :rolleyes:

This time its not the hanger, the bottom jockey wheel twists in toward the spokes slightly, still changes gear ok, just iffy on down changes.

Anyone selling a cheap sram x5?
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Assuming you need a 9 speed rather than 10 speed mech then CRC have X5 for £28 and Merlin have X7 for £33 and X9 for £50...or you could try fleabay.


I'm off to make the most of the good weather tonight for a 36km ride , no doubt I'll still get covered in mud though and I'll definitely come back with nettle stings and midge bites but it's all part of the fun.

Any UK bods see the Cycle Show on ITV4 last night? It was mostly ok but could definitely be improved.
 
Neal
Any UK bods see the Cycle Show on ITV4 last night? It was mostly ok but could definitely be improved.
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Yeah, it was alright. It would've been a lot better if it ran for a bit longer, always felt like they were rushing to get to the next feature.
 
Tommi
Yeah, it was alright. It would've been a lot better if it ran for a bit longer, always felt like they were rushing to get to the next feature.
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It did feel a bit rushed, as it's a nearly live programme they should be able to improve it each week...hopefully by having fewer hipsters.
 
hellnback
Neal, remember to watch the Olympics MTB race... you'll see those lovely hardtail 29ers in action... ;) :P
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I've set a reminder on my phone for that and in a wave Wiggo fuelled good feeling I've even set reminders for the road and time trail races!

There was an article about the Olympic MTB in a magazine and there seems to be a good mix of riders using 26", 27.5" and 29" wheels, most of them seem to be basing their choices on what they feel most comfortable on and have been riding all year so are keeping things the same for the Olympic race. I've had a go on a couple of 29ers including a Surley Fatbike and they've all felt good but steer slower and carve a wider arc. I might be a stick in the mud 26er but it doesn't matter what bike you're on as long as you're enjoying yourself.


My ride last night was a laugh, quite long for a weekday evening but a fast pace so all good. It was ridiculously overgrown in parts so my legs are itching to buggery today from nettle stings, scratches and midge bites. There was also some added radness and gnar doing a few laps of a BMX track and coming down some deceptively steep steps on a motorway footbridge.
 
I think most of the 29er hype among "normal people" - i.e. not professional racers - is nothing more than hype. The biggest selling point of them is the reputedly better rolling ability thanks to meeting small obstacles at a shallower angle and having a higher moment of inertia. Well, those two can't be denied.

What is usually forgotten though is that compared to a 26" bike the 29er is longer, bulkier and most of all heavier. One tyre can make a difference of nearly 200 grams (the tyre in example being the Schwalbe Ice Spiker Pro which I'll be trying out next winter myself), a total of 400 grams from the tyres alone. Larger rims also weigh more and to make it worse all the weight goes to the outside where it takes the most power to get moving. Sure it'll roll better but it has to be put into motion first! Many enthusiasts would sell an organ to get half a kilogram off their bike but still they insist riding a 29er which carries the weight penalty because at the moment it's the most fashionable thing to be done.

Now as 27,5" bikes are coming to play people will probably buy them because they're lighter and nimbler then 29ers. Guess what the good old 26" is compared to them...
 
Yeah it cracks me up people spending lots of $$$$$ on upgrading parts on their bike in the name over saving weight. You know huge amounts of weight, like 200gms!

Then they get on the bike, they're many pounds, sometimes stones overweight... and in control of the biggest weight loss factor of all... (themselves)... afterwards they go get a big bucket of KFC... lol
 
Saving weight on my bike is key for me. The bike itself is less than 15kg. All non-essential part get striped. And I eat a bucket of KFC because it's fuel, and I'm rather lucky that my weight doesn't change much no matter what I eat.
 
W3HS
Saving weight on my bike is key for me. The bike itself is less than 15kg. All non-essential part get striped. And I eat a bucket of KFC because it's fuel, and I'm rather lucky that my weight doesn't change much no matter what I eat.
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I imagine your bike will be much lighter than that, I'd be very surprised if it was 10kg.

My bike is a tank, it was 14.7kg when I bought it and I guess it's down to about 13.5kg now mostly due to the Reba's I got to replace the "factory spec" forks. Saying that I've lost 17kg myself in just over a year so as a total package I'm much lighter...and it saved money by buying fewer pasties ;)

Some of the guys at the bike club have got properly light bikes, I had a go of someone's 10kg single speeder on Tuesday which was pretty nice although I prefer having gears really and another guy has got a VERY expensive titanium framed bike with top of the range Mavic wheels that's about 9kg including gears although he has run it lighter again as a single speed!
 
I used to ride a nearly 18 kg bike (don't ask me how it could weigh so much) in 2010-2011 after which I upgraded to a 13.5 kg full suspension and then bought a 12.5 kg hardtail to complement it. The weight difference is mostly felt at two points of the ride - carrying the bike downstairs when leaving and upstairs when coming home. Of course the current ones handle trail riding far better but it's hard to say if it's because of the weight or because of far superior geometry and suspension technology.

One thing is certain though, people putting hundreds of dollars/euros/pounds into a bike to make it lighter are either taking their hobby very seriously or have too much money. 1€ per 1g is considered cheap at least over here and it means that pouring 300€ into the bike would make it 300g lighter (Captain Obvious has struck again, see) but... being honest, would you notice a difference of 300g in a bike that weighs 13000g especially if it was taken off here and there? Not to mention that the same change could well cost twice that. I can understand swapping derailleurs for higher spec because they make a very noticable difference, the same goes for better brakes, but I'm having a hard time seeing how having a 60€ carbon bottle cage that weighs 20g instead of a 5€ alloy version that weighs 50g is worth the price difference, or paying 150€ for a carbon handlebar that weighs 200g while an alloy version weighing 300g came free with the bike.
 
Greycap
I used to ride a nearly 18 kg bike (don't ask me how it could weigh so much) in 2010-2011 after which I upgraded to a 13.5 kg full suspension and then bought a 12.5 kg hardtail to complement it. The weight difference is mostly felt at two points of the ride - carrying the bike downstairs when leaving and upstairs when coming home. Of course the current ones handle trail riding far better but it's hard to say if it's because of the weight or because of far superior geometry and suspension technology.

One thing is certain though, people putting hundreds of dollars/euros/pounds into a bike to make it lighter are either taking their hobby very seriously or have too much money. 1€ per 1g is considered cheap at least over here and it means that pouring 300€ into the bike would make it 300g lighter (Captain Obvious has struck again, see) but... being honest, would you notice a difference of 300g in a bike that weighs 13000g especially if it was taken off here and there? Not to mention that the same change could well cost twice that. I can understand swapping derailleurs for higher spec because they make a very noticable difference, the same goes for better brakes, but I'm having a hard time seeing how having a 60€ carbon bottle cage that weighs 20g instead of a 5€ alloy version that weighs 50g is worth the price difference, or paying 150€ for a carbon handlebar that weighs 200g while an alloy version weighing 300g came free with the bike.
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18kg is really quite heavy for a push bike but looking at it I’m not that surprised as it looks like a lot of steel tubing. Still you’ve made up for it with your current bikes :)👍

There seem to be far too many people who want to spend a small fortune on their bikes which seems to disproportionately inflate the price of high end kit compared to its actual value. I guess you could argue that this pushes the development of bikes which filter down to the more reasonably priced level components but racing does that anyway. Below is an interesting article on the use of carbon for frames and how important it is to sell high end mountain bikes even if it has little or no benefit over aluminium.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/07/18...n-small-brands-survive-with-just-alloy-bikes/
 
Yep, my Raleigh was certainly steel as I have my doubts about an aluminium frame dripping rusty water from the ventilation holes...

The article was far too long for casual reading but one point stood out.
When you look at a 180lb rider with gear, a trail bike, dropper post, hydration pack, etc., a pound and a half on the frame means ****ing nothing. Nothing!
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And that's nothing more than the truth. Still it hasn't been a week since I heard (well, read) some elitist besserwissers on the Finnish bike forum completely writing off an alloy frame because it weighs a massive 2000g instead of a carbon frame which weighs 1500g and costs probably three times as much.

Seriously, people like that should be taken behind the barn before sunrise. They're the ones who say that if your MTB isn't carbon with at least a Reba fork, or your road bike doesn't have at least Shimano 105 parts, you have no other choice than postpone the purchase until you can afford those criteria. And they're dead serious. Any bike now is better than a perfect bike in 2015 and components can be replaced later but it's easy to throw comments on a forum for beginners who don't know better and as a result get scared off the entire hobby. I've seen a lot of people asking for advice on their first bike, they get a response like that and never return. The elitists probably feel good after that.
 
So, say I had some money spare, circa £300, what would be the best way to go about getting muddy?

Halfords, Carrera, front disc and front suss'? Second hand Spec'/GT? Put it all on black and get something better for 600?
 
Something better second hand for £500 should get you a decent MTB that will be more than capable for a few years. Keep a bit back for making it your own, ie bars, stem, saddle and pedals.
 
I discovered this morning that some weasel-scumbag's have stolen my bike :mad:.

I was getting into the building elevator this morning to go to work and I noticed someone had tapes up a hand written note to the effect of: "racing bike with shimano gears stolen from lockup in the basement parking - bike next to mine gone too - watch out for tailgaters!".

As soon as I saw the "next to mine bit" I just knew it was mine. So I went down and sure enough, two empty spaces in the bikerack where both used to be and two neatly sheared 2cm thick bike cables still sitting coiled around the metal frames of the racks themselves :mad:.

I am astounded that someone not only snuck into a secure basement parking but also had the tools to cut through a proper bike cable lock. :grumpy:

I guess I'll need to start looking for sales as it wasnt insured :(
 
Sorry for the bad news Mike. I would recommend always using a decent D-lock whenever you get the chance, I know they're more cumbersome but they're a fair bit sturdier.

However, the sad fact is that if the thief is prepared enough they'll always find a way.
 
ExigeEvan
So, say I had some money spare, circa £300, what would be the best way to go about getting muddy?
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Stick to known brands and you should be fine....just pick the one you like and go have some fun:)

That said having just had a look on the Halfords site and spotted a rather nice looking Voodoo for £400. The bikes a wee bit closer to £300 seemed to have cable brakes and SRAM gears where the Voodoo has Shimano hydraulic brakes and Shimano gears....and a bigger, beefier fork......but that's all stuff I like and it's your money:sly:
 

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