The biking thread

[Neal]

Cool, looking forward to giving it a blast and by the time I get out again I'll need help on the ups too! I'd need a pretty big bike to help me enough on the downs

I had norovirus about 5 years ago and remember it vividly, you'll be wiped out for a good week or two!

Got any plans to go to Antur Stinkydog?

 

[David]

I think I'd be afraid of a carbon fibre mountain bike frame after just bending a metal one like that It is a nice looking frame though. Looking forward to pics once you get it all together.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Also for people who don't know the frame is made of carbon fibre, how very F1

That must be awesome to explain to people who don't know what carbon fibre is.

My bike is made out of carbon fibre.

- What's that?

The same stuff they build F1 cars out of.

- What's an F1 car?

Aircraft that basically travel upside down on roads

 

[W3H5]

RIP Burry One of the many cyclists killed on the road, more should be done to make the roads safer for us.

It's a tragedy indeed. I've read lots of comments about the taxis down there being a law unto themselves and being the cause of many accidents but I guess nobody will know the truth on this one.

Good call using the road bike Shem, I'm sure it'll be fine. How bad will the road surfaces be? SKS make good mudguards but that is very expensive.

My advice on kit is to get some chamois cream and travel light. Not easy to travel light but I always come home with unused kit.

Chamois cream, good call! I'm taking 2 pair just in case. I will be carrying only the basics as most of my kit will be on my person and only a few spares, tools and snacks will be in my pack.

The road, from what I've seen image wise, are mostly concrete, no tarmac but mostly pretty smooth for the majority of the way. I'm tempted to bore out my valve holes in the rim and go for normal valves but it won't make too much difference if I've got enough spares and my own pump.

I think I'll skip the mud guards. A 4 day tour, even if it rains the whole way, shouldn't get too much gunk in the mechanicals and I can always give it a rinse down at night. I'll be taking lube but the whole bike will get a once over before I leave.

 

[Neal]

I think I'd be afraid of a carbon fibre mountain bike frame after just bending a metal one like that It is a nice looking frame though. Looking forward to pics once you get it all together.

Cheers, there will be some bike love photos in the near future

My old bike was very much entry level so probably not the strongest frame but I'm pretty sure I would have broke it regardless of the material it was made of.

See below for how strong carbon frames can be, I won't be worrying about mine too much

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/santa-c...-test-lab.html

That must be awesome to explain to people who don't know what carbon fibre is.

My bike is made out of carbon fibre.

- What's that?

The same stuff they build F1 cars out of.

- What's an F1 car?

Aircraft that basically travel upside down on roads

I'll have to remember that one

Chamois cream, good call! I'm taking 2 pair just in case. I will be carrying only the basics as most of my kit will be on my person and only a few spares, tools and snacks will be in my pack.

The road, from what I've seen image wise, are mostly concrete, no tarmac but mostly pretty smooth for the majority of the way. I'm tempted to bore out my valve holes in the rim and go for normal valves but it won't make too much difference if I've got enough spares and my own pump.

I think I'll skip the mud guards. A 4 day tour, even if it rains the whole way, shouldn't get too much gunk in the mechanicals and I can always give it a rinse down at night. I'll be taking lube but the whole bike will get a once over before I leave.

You do know chamois cream doesn't go on the shorts don't you, it goes on the...errrr...sensitive bits.

Mud guards are a watse of time on long rides as they just delay you getting wet rather than stopping it altogether and the bike will be fine either way, bit of lube on the chain will keep it going fine. You sound good to go mate, just need to get your legs in order :tup:

 

[W3H5]

Unlucky about the crash, Neal. Don't know why I didn't think of crashing before when I was tempted for some new rims.

 

[Neal]

Unlucky about the crash, Neal. Don't know why I didn't think of crashing before when I was tempted for some new rims.

You need the scars to prove to the missus you didn't just throw the bike down the stairs

 

[W3H5]

I think I'll manage a small 'spill' on my Feb tour which may or may not require some of these as replacements:

Shimano Dura Ace

 

[David]

You need the scars to prove to the missus you didn't just throw the bike down the stairs

Are you sure you didn't get the scars after she found out you had ordered a new frame? Do we need to call someone?

I think I'll manage a small 'spill' on my Feb tour which may or may not require some of these as replacements:

Shimano Dura Ace

Wouldn't it be a shame if your shifters and crankset stopped working too and you were forced to get more Dura Ace?

 

[Neal]

Are you sure you didn't get the scars after she found out you had ordered a new frame? Do we need to call someone?

Hmm maybe...do you get compensation for being the victim of domestic violence to buy a Rockshox Reverb

 

[TB]

Congrats and condolences, Neal. :down::tup:

Kinda sucks hearing about the riding you guys are doing and seeing nothing but snow and damn cold everywhere here.

 

[Neal]

Thanks TB

It's been the wettest year in England every in the universe since records began which I have not trouble believing but we've only had a couple if weeks when it was properly cold, TBH it was great as the ground was hard and you didn't get soaked. Lots of snow can be fun but there are limits to how much is still rideable. A few of the guys in the bike club have got fat bikes which are marketed as snow or sand bike due to 4" wide huge volume tyres but they're quite good fun anywhere and surprisingly fast rolling. Even if you did get one of these it would take a lot of preparation for you to go out riding at 0K or whatever ridiculous temps you get there.

 

[Mike Rotch]

Glad you are ok Neal. If anybody asks what happened, just make up a story about how you had to "uphold the peace" at a pub recently, not that you had a 'moment' on your bike .

How did you get hold of the new frame so quickly !

 

[Neal]

But I look like I lost Actualky I did try to uphold the peace many years ago and end up with a very similar appearance as the peace was being disrupted by a squadie

The wife wondered the same thing when she put the Christmas decs back in the garage today I'd had my eye on it as the last piece in project Triggers Brush (or Sugarbabe for the kids) for quite a while so ordered it on New Year's Day and it turned up on Thursday, I love the internet

 

[W3H5]

Wouldn't it be a shame if your shifters and crankset stopped working too and you were forced to get more Dura Ace?

I don't think I could get away with that all on one trip. That'd be a hefty bill for parts and my 16 speed Micro Shift drive chain is still in pretty good shape.

Kinda sucks hearing about the riding you guys are doing and seeing nothing but snow and damn cold everywhere here.

I'm expecting snow and minus temps on my tour. I'll just have to be sure to wrap up warm! Mountain riding FTW!

 

[ExigeEvan]

I've got my first ride tomorrow in an age. About 20 miles on the road with a mate who is training to cycle Wolverhampton-Aberystwyth in memory of a friend.

Urghhhh.

 

[W3H5]

Should be fun then! Getting back on the bike after a while feels great and you'll wonder why you've been away so long!

 

[ExigeEvan]

Shouldn't be, and I've even suggest making the route more difficult because I believe getting used to the lactic acid on a climb is best done sooner rather than later.

I'm just dreading clearing the cobwebs in the first few miles.

 

[W3H5]

Use the first few miles as a warm up and ease yourself into it, would be my suggestion. Getting back used to 'the burn' hasn't got any easier for me after a period off the bike where I've been less active. The first ride can be awful if done wrong. Good luck with that one!

 

[Neal]

Enjoy the ride Evan 👍 Think we've got a week of good weather lined up

I'm expecting snow and minus temps on my tour. I'll just have to be sure to wrap up warm! Mountain riding FTW!

Keeping your core warm is the key to keeping your extremities warm although you still need layers so you can remove and add when required. Being wet is rubbish so take extra gloves and socks to change into during the day. Silk globe liners are meant to be great at keeping your hands warm under other gloves. Merino wool socks will help keep your feet warm when wet and overshoes (neoprene) will keep the wind and worst of the wet off them which makes a huge difference. I've also just got some thermal wool insoles which have helped a bit too. A bike specific under helmet (merino wool) skull cap is another essential item IMO. Don't forget ducts tape, a chain tool and some chain power links, spare brake and gear inner cables, spare rear mech hanger. A hip flask with something warming in it. If I think of anything else I'll post up

 

[W3H5]

Just found this flick Premium Rush on my film site and had to check it out. A great watch for any biker. I posted a short review in this thread.

Keeping your core warm is the key to keeping your extremities warm although you still need layers so you can remove and add when required. Being wet is rubbish so take extra gloves and socks to change into during the day. Silk globe liners are meant to be great at keeping your hands warm under other gloves. Merino wool socks will help keep your feet warm when wet and overshoes (neoprene) will keep the wind and worst of the wet off them which makes a huge difference. I've also just got some thermal wool insoles which have helped a bit too. A bike specific under helmet (merino wool) skull cap is another essential item IMO. Don't forget ducts tape, a chain tool and some chain power links, spare brake and gear inner cables, spare rear mech hanger. A hip flask with something warming in it. If I think of anything else I'll post up

Completely forgot about a chain tool. I think it's at the bottom of my tool bag somewhere!

I've sighted some over shoes for cheap online with wholes for the cleats. I'm going to use footie socks as they're pretty good on the whole; got a few pairs to go with. I have a scull cap but it's rather thin but something I also came across today online for a fiver was this:

Do you think I'll need spare cables for a 4 day trip? I'm also buying a CamelBak water pocket to slip into the back of my pack but I'll be taking a flash with some warm brew in too.

 

[Neal]

I've seen the trailer for Premium Rush and it looked quite good for what appears to be a niche film so will def check it out.

My overshoes were very cheap at a tenner and any skullcap will do but if the one you have doesn't cover your ears then the one you've found may be worth getting too. Footy socks will do but having done 6+ hour rides on very cold and wet days I'd always choose warm woolly socks, I've never seen a shivering sheep I always carry one spare gear cable on longer rides that would be a long walk back to the car or would be grim stuck in one gear, never needed it but know plenty of people who have and they're small enough to carry.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I personally wouldn't bother with the spare cables, as long as the current ones are in good shape and you're not expecting several severe descents it shouldn't be a big deal. That said, they're not the most difficult thing to carry. Spokes are.

Are you going to be in the wilderness at any point or could you just flag a lift or catch a train should there be a terminal failure?

 

[W3H5]

It's pretty much mountainous, fairly uninhabited routes for about 70% of the trip. That said, Chinese people are very hospitable and should stop if they're flagged down.

I guess taking on extra cable wouldn't hurt. My local shop only have high end cables in stock but as they're only around £12 each I think I could grab a spare.

My current cable are in excellent condition and the bike itself is only nearly a year old with little more than 2'500 on the clock.

My main concern, other than not booking hotels in advance (cheaper and usually easier to walk in on the day), is taking enough inner tubes.
I know that nowhere outside of the two cities I'm touring from / to will have the right size, never mind valve type and considering one time last year I went through 4 tubes in 3 separate incidents within a month! That was mostly due to poor quality valves but 2 were punchers from running the pressure too high. I'll be doing the tour around 80-90psi which seems to give the tyres a bit of leeway over the rougher stuff.

EDIT: £4 for these:

 

[Neal]

I think gear inners are about £5 each here so that is quite pricy but you'll thank me if one snaps...obviously they won't though. If you take a puncture repair kit you can fix tubes in the evening if you're getting short

Those overshoes are only Lycra so they may not be very warm, search for neoprene overshoes.

 

[W3H5]

I'll have a look for some neoprene but if worst comes to worst I'll have a few spare plastic shopping bags to stick in my boots!

After looking online I've realised that the price I quoted for the cables was for items packaged as brake cables and not shifter cables. The shifter cables to fit my system were well in the £15 range.

I will take a puncture kits but I'm hoping I won't need it. The spare tubes, should they be needed, are mainly for the convenience and speed of a road-side swap.

 

[ExigeEvan]

So the cycle didn't happen. My mate bailed for some rubbish reasons and it looks like it's on the edge of chucking down here so I don't fancy my first ride in ages being solo.

I will take a puncture kits but I'm hoping I won't need it. The spare tubes, should they be needed, are mainly for the convenience and speed of a road-side swap.

I didn't puncture in Aus, then again I was on a hybrid with MTB rims and hybrid slicks.

 

[W3H5]

Did some practice packing tonight with 50% of the gear I'll be taking. Obviosly I'll be wearing the other 50% of it so I've stuffed the bag with some sweaters to add weight for my practice with the bag tomorrow. I usually cycle with a normal back pack so I've no idea if this will be better or worse.

...................................

Today I took a fully loaded (20kg) pack over 38km of local mountain road to get a feel for what I'm up against. I can honestly say I think I'm ready but I've got serious worries about my colleague who'll come with who hasn't done any prep training on the bike.

The first 19km were comfortable with the pack on and the bike rode well over the rougher road surfaces. I wore my track bottoms with the long-Johns under which caused me a slight over-heating problem and made me slightly uncomfortable in the legs while me feet were pretty much ice blocks with just the footie socks and my bike shoes. I wore a woolly hat which was toasty but again, it felt like it was over-heating me. My neck scarf/ buff thing was totally unnecessary.

For the return leg I packed the bottoms and went with the Lycra leggings over long-Johns which were perfect for the weather (~2/3 degrees + 8kph wind, dry). I put some cheap plastic shoe covers over my socks to go inside the shoes which also worked a treat. I bagged the neck buff and woolly hat in favour of a skull cap and helmet combo which was not bad, if a little less comfortable. Coming home I deliberately hit every pot hole, sunken manhole cover, broken bit of asphalt and uneven surface I could find to put the tyres and tube through the works and they just took it in their stride. Had a few close calls through the traffic but the brakes are in fine order bringing me from 40+ to less than 10kph in under a second.

The pack started to get my upper spine aching towards the last 5km which I managed to help by tightening the hip straps and allowing my abdomen to take some of the weight. I'm sure it was just a matter of the straps being wrongly adjusted as the first leg gave me no issues with the pack at all. Either it was the straps or I'd packed it wrong; it was only carrying a few more kg than on the first part of the trip.

So in conclusion: The gear is fine. The bike is (I think) tough enough and the pack is fine as long as it's worn correctly. I think my body is in good enough shape so all I need to worry about now is booking hotels ahead of time to make sure I don't end up sleeping in a barn when I could really do with a soft bed and some sort of heating system & shower.

 

[Greycap]

Some completely unrelated (well, it is related to biking but that's where it ends) thoughts here... I can't help finding it funny how one's view on certain things can change over a pretty short period of time.

Three years ago I was riding a bike with 28x1.60 tyres and I thought they were plenty wide and grippy. Then I got my first MTB and it came with 26x1.75 tyres, they looked like real monsters. After that came my beloved Specialized Camber with its 26x2.0 tyres - never seen anything that wide from close range. Then I bought another Specialized, this time a Rockhopper and it came with 26x2.1 that looked absolutely humongous. Those tyres resided on the Camber for a while and then returned to the Rockhopper (this time they'll stay) while the Camber fell subject to upgrading over the winter. Next summer it'll be rocking 26x2.3 tyres I just ordered today.

 

[Neal]

Shem - You sound pretty well prepared 👍 Get your mate on some regular long rides before you do it otherwise he'll be turning enjoyable long days in the saddle into a proper ordeal.

Greycap - What are the 2.3's you've ordered? I went through a stage of sticking a 2.1 lightweight XC tyre on the back but the sidewalls didn't last long and it was bad for pinch flats so I go big now plus I've got fairly wide rims (23mm internal width) which increase the volume of the tyres. My next tyres will be a 2.25 Smorgasboard on the back and a 2.4 Chunky Monkey on the front both in dual compound and I'll be trying to set them up ghetto tubeless


Also my new frame is helitaped to within an inch of its life and built up but isn't quite finished as I'm waiting delivery of a new front mech as the the old one is a low clamp type which fouls with the flared seat tube where it meets the bottom bracket. I'm hoping the mech will be waiting for me at home tonight so I get out on it later to give it a shake down and give my legs a bit of a workout in readiness for a snowy epic in the Peak District this Sunday.

Expect some bike love photos in the not too distant

EDIT:

How's this for the sexiest bit of steel on two wheels, if boiltheocean hasn't already seen this he's going to cream his pants!