Cycling Thread - pleasure peddlers to serious cyclists sign in here!

Thanks to whoever suggested a couple of months ago to try a fleece headband under my helmet. I got one in Lidls before xmas and tried it out yesterday. It was 0c but my ears &forehead were nice n warm :) but i could still hear. I also tried out the Aldi wool long johns under normal leggings and they worked well too. I was only out for an hour but that was enough. We didnt get any snow as we by the sea but it went all around us inDevon. Hows weveryone else doing? I was amazed to still see around 50bikes at work this week (out of 300 staff onsite) but a couple of people had accidents on the way to work on icy roads. So I've not risked at 6am dark ride since Dec now and miss my commute ride to work.

Hey all. So I survived the Olympic mtb course. Lots of fun I managed pretty much all of it just not the hardest way down triple trouble ( rocky bit at the start). Must go back and conquer that bit!
Life is yeah sounds like the right one is the lock out. Try changing it and push down hard on the forks (easiest when off bike I think). And see which way it moves! Obv you want lock out on on the road.

The other one might be travel but maybe more likely to be rebound (how fast they come back up after compression). What are they and can you look it up? Usually can find manuals online

Ssmile I would give it another good clean and make sure it's dry (eg with cloth) and then put loads more lube on it. But depends how rusty it is?

Tried to get my bike out today for my Sat morn hr to myself. Got 5seconds down our road and torrential down pour so pedalled back up our hill and did 35 mins on tbe cylops trainer instead in the garage watching rain come down in mad bursts. Not quite the fresh air i needed but better than nothing! Im also slightly that since i cleaned and bike lubed the chain in November its now gone all rusty after hardly being used in December. What can i use to "rescue" my chain?

lifeistooshorttodrinkcheapwine One of the knobs is probably a straight on/off this should be easy to tell. Push down the front of the bike in the lock position and non-lock position and you should see very different amount of movements. You wanted locked for riding on the road.

The other is (presumably) the amount of travel in the suspension, either a lot or a little for different sort of roughness on hills, if you're always riding with it off you can leave it as you want otherwise just experiment with what you like.

Hi after the bad cold, chesty cough, then norovirus I've been getting back out on my bike - twice so far this week: 4 - 5 mile rides, not much, but better than expected after my bugs had left me puffed out.

One query which i wonder if you wise cyclists can help me with: at the risk of being thought stupid, i'm never sure if i have my front suspension on or off - i have 2 dials, one on each side - the red one on my right when i'm on the bike has a lock symbol and an arrow symbol and the other dial on my left is black with a plus and a minus symbol. The book says turn the knobs anti clockwise - does this mean the suspension is on or off when i turn it ac?

Happy New Year everyone! Just checking in, I've been out for a 5 mile ride tonight with my lights on! I don't normally like going out after dark, but a combination of ill children and rubbish weather over the last 2 has left me desperate for som fresh air and exercise. So I dug out my lights and off I went. Fortunately I live in a huge new development that has wide shared use pavements so I was able to make up a reasonable route that was well-lit and off the road. I'm going to try and do it a bit more often, only took half an hour so not a huge undertaking but enough to make me feel like I've done something iyswim?

I agree its SO much easier to cycle after kids in bed when the evenings are lighter. We have had lots of bugs this December in the family so lack of sleep and energy have very much dampened my cycling. My DH also goes away in Jan for a week -10days on business which makes it very hard to get any cycling in. I have got The Shred dvd out again to help compensate. Hope to get out on bike more once it stops flipping raining down ere in Devon!

Checking back in.

Had a crap oct/nov cycling wise as Dh away on a business trip so just about impossible to get any cycling done.

Getting back into it but 7 weeks off has made a big difference. My legs are knackered after 7 miles rather than 20. But definitely improving this past week. Even went out and did 6 miles on Xmas day.

I'm so looking forward to lighter evenings so I can go out after work and also warmer weather.

I had to vote twice: once on the landline and once on the mobile. Both for Wiggo of course. . We let ds stay up to watch it.

Interesting review in the Telegraph that the CTC linked to. The attitudes dispalyed in some of the comments are !

I was going to that thistledew, but unfortunately have racing to Marshall at kids club instead. Are you in Kent then?

We let ds stay up and watch it. Even though he's only 12, we let him cycle on his own in the neighborhood, as long as he tells us roughly where he's going.

It was good listening to his comments during the programme and his own attitude and strategies; I think I've drummed in safe but assertive cycling into him well enough!

I thought it was quite sympathetic to cyclists overall. The illegal cycle racing was only a small piece at the end was rightly and roundly condemned by all (including the cyclists) - and I didn't take it as tarring all cyclists with the same brush.

What absolutely shocked me though but sadly didn't surprise me was how the stroppy drivers just couldn't understand that if they were close enough for a cyclist to hit their vehicle, then they were too close and were driving dangerously. No cyclist that I know of has arms that are 1.5m long, which should be the space that cars give all vehicles cyclists.

Made it to work but got very wet cold n muddy, and NO heating on at work when got there :-( but did have hot shower. Still its taken me all morning to warm up hope the rads that are on now have dried out my kit or its going to be miserable gettin home again. My yellow jacket isn't water proof but I didn't fancy wearing my waterproof one under my high vis one but maybe I should have. But how do I keep my legs warm?? Twice I've cycled with cycle shorts under leggings &still cold.

Wow all this talk of racing is inspiring do you have to be young to do it? Just curious I'm not old (40) but not that "race" fit either!

No she wasn't was she? I don't think she was even on the difficult bits either!

Ha! Bath, with bubblebath and water guns!

No, have never changed tyres, but have never ridden in 'proper' snow so it may be something to do this year may be??

Olympic course!! Double wowser! THAT is a challenge. I did see the fearless Helen Skelton having a go and she was..erm....not very successful. The pros made it look ok in the races but it looked pure evil.

Aww at giving your cassette a bath pan that sounds sweet. I actually find that proper degreaser and a toothbrush does a good job. But it's very easy to get your cassette off, but you do need the tools (chain whip and round thing that I don't know the name of that holds the middle of the cassette in place, ahem, I am so helpful). Anyway it really must be easy as I can do it!! Then maybe you can put it in the dishwasher or something! (admit I usually only take my cassette off when it's knackered)

I don't mind cycling in the cold once I get going. Did race on Sunday and it was sub zero, and absolutely lovely. apart from the pain of riding as fast as possible I can't bear rain AND cold though, that is just minging. And yes also wind is not ideal - though I went out for a road ride weekend before last when it was 30 mph winds and said to DH, "Oh why don't you meet me with the kids at " where was a town that I would be blown to for 30 miles. Was awesome I went so fast!

ANyway pan have you cycled in snow before? Will you change your tyres? I ride my mountain bike to work when it snows. It is hard going but I also hate driving in the snow so I prefer biking.

thistle that training sessions sounds great. Hope its not too cold. Do you think you will race next year? Will it be women's only road races?

Am not going to watch the show you were on about. It will just piss me off!

Oh and other news is I am going to cycle the olympic mountain bike course the weekend after next. Apparently it is moderately terrifying and they are averaging one broken person a weekend (you have to book onto be guided to ride it - you aren't allowed to just go and ride it). So if I don't post back in a couple of weeks, so long, was nice knowing you all!

yes ruby rain is the accompanier tomorrow morning......still, after the first 10 mins you can't get any wetter!