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

[Thistledew]

Hi All

I thought I would start a cycling thread. It would be great if we could make it all inclusive, so whether you currently just enjoy bike rides but are interested in taking it further, or already train seriously, please post what you are up to and what your aims are. By sharing knowledge and experiences, hopefully we can spur each other on.

If you want to, please post a quick biog of how long you have been cycling, how much you currently cycle, and what your goals are.

And for those who wish to engage in a bit of bike porn, please feel free to post what sort of bike you ride!

Happy peddling!

Thanks for the tips on the hills and the warm welcome, I usually try and peddle in the higher gear till it gets too "stiff" then start dropping down and tire myself out quicker in the process, so will try the lower gear and keep spinning at the same speed, it makes sense :). Fox trot your bike looks lovely, enjoy it! I feel quite lucky where I am, there are quite a lot of cycle paths and a new one just opened so you can cycle from our town to the next town 7 miles away, right alongside our beautiful beach.

This is probably a silly question but what do you wear as the weather is getting colder, I always think if I wear too many clothes I will get too hot, then end up freezing.

That is a gorgeous bike foxtrot. Can I ask what chainset you have on it?

This is what my bike looks like. I had to search for a good image as this is the styling on the bikes that were painted up for demo purposes and is a bit different from the production style.

I find the way to go with clothing is layering, that can be shed when you warm up. In winter I go for a thermal base layer, and then a combination of one or more of cycling jersey, windproof Gillet, long sleeve cycling waterproof/windproof. It is worth buying cycle-specific clothing, but you don't need to spend £££. In the winter season Aldi do a very cheap but remarkably serviceable range of cycling clothing.

That's pretty, Thistledew! Before I read the blurb with it I thought it looked like DH's roubaix - indeed they're similar! Very pretty!

I've gone for campag veloces on it - I have campag mirage on my old road (now commuting) bike and have soft spot for them. I expect I'll upgrade to chorus over time. Probably because I'm contrary! I've gone for a compact so hills aren't quite as horrific, but I look well'ard as I don't have a triple

I agree re the layers - particularly the base layers. You don't have to spend a bomb, Lidl have base layers in for around £8 this week. They also do cycle specific kit twice a year, and their long line cycling vests are super. I wear them for bootcamp in the park (I teach so I stand around a lot), skiing, cycling, running when it's cold and they're a fiver each. Sign up for the Aldi and Lidl special emails and you get around a week's notice for the kit coming out. You've sadly just missed Lidl's autumn kit.

One thing with technical base layers - add a scoop of Vanish Anti-Bacterial (the one with a green lid) to your wash to get rid of that technical fabric pong.

It is pretty similar to the Roubaix - my DP has one too. It is a little shorter in the top tube and the frame doesn't have the dampening inserts so it is even more rigid. I have to say that I am increasingly impressed with it, especially with how stable it is. Even though it is a rigid and responsive frame it doesn't feel at all twitchy and I feel I can throw it into a bend with just as much confidence as my Tricross.

Hello- only just spotted this thread.
Are any of you doing "30 days of biking " this month?

I'm giving it a go. normally I guess I'd be on my bike 4 or 5 days a week but this sept I'm aiming for every day. Have managed it so far with a little help from a brompton on the trickiest day.

My stable of bikes is a
Dawes Horizon tourer with schwalbe Marathon plus tyres, mudguards, full racks ,dynamo lighting and trailer hitch.
Dawes Galaxy with skinny tryes. mudguards and a back rack.
Brompton , no rack, 6 gears.

The bike I use most is the heavy but bombproof Tourer. but the light one is fun for longer rides, it climbs hill rather better.

UniS - I wanted a Dawes Tourer but even their smallest size was too big for me. Its funny because the Tricross is a bigger size on paper but fits better.

Anyway, I am back from a terrible, terrible ride. Only my 2nd ride clipped in. Last ride I spent 5 miles clipping in/out, in/out the whole time - no probs.

Coming along the cycle path today and some brickies are building a wall by the side of the path, wood and bricks everywhere over the path. Path is 3ft wide max and right next to a busy A road with lorries going past my elbow.

I thought I better clip out.......couldn't clip out. Really couldn't. Had a choice between the wall and under the wheels of a HGV so choose the wall. Managed to stay upright. Then I'm leaning against the wall for five minutes, still can't clip out. Had to take my feet out my shoes.

Home now, still unable to clip out. Bike is in the hallway with shoes on pedals!

How come it was so easy last time and this time impossible? How hte hell do I get my shoes off?

Think I've sorted my problem. It was just technique, I was just trying to rotate out rather than heel up and out/forward at the same time. God I am dim!

Hi, I'm new to this thread but reading it was wondering if you'd all mind me picking your brains? I've started cycling to work aiming to do it at least once a week but sometimes making twice (I only work 3 days). It's just under 10 miles each way and is quite hilly so I feel I get quite a work out (for me!).

I've been thinking of getting a new bike but have no idea what to go for. There seems to be such a huge range in price and I'm not sure what I need or what I would benefit from. Mine is a (very cheap) hybrid about 10 years old which is quite heavy but good for potholes and bumping up pavements when necessary.

Any ideas?

Viva - I've been clipless for 5 or 6 years now and I still fell off them leaving Sainsburys the other day. Yes, technique helps, but you'll still have off days!

Happy - I'm an advocate for road bikes, so would advise one if you're riding on roads, but they can feel unstable when you're new to them. Can you get the bike to work scheme? The savings can make a massive difference in the purchase price of a bike - up to £420 if you're a higher rate taxpayer. When it comes to buying a bike buy the best you can - normally your money is spent on the frame as components can be upgraded in time. An entry level road bike, if you want to step up from a hybrid, may be a great starting point for you - and if you can get it on the cyclescheme more's the better!

Viva sorry but that's too funny you clinging to a wall and having to take your shoes off! Did the brickies laugh?

Happy could you get a tourer style road bike that you could put a rack on so you could use panniers on it. Good for commuting so you don't get a sweaty back.

I am en route to Pyrenees. Too exciting.

Have a brilliant time Summer. That sounds great!

Viva, I think you need to loosen the tension on your pedals by quite a bit. Especially if you are using MTB shoes and have a cage around the mechanism on which your foot can rest. My spds are like this and I have them loosened off to the point where there is virtually no resistance to unclipping. I just need to turn my ankle out a little. I have never unclipped when I have not intended to so don't worry about that. I really see no point in having spds set too firm.

I hope you get over your scare soon.

Thanks Thistle, I've been out today and done 8 miles and managed to clip out OK each time.

I'm planning if its not too windy to try for my first 15miler on Monday!

Happy - join the Tricross quiche. Looks like a road bike but you can stick a rack and panniers on.

Theres that tricross again.. keeps cropping up in conversation in RL too. 2nding putting pannier rack on it if you carry loads, even sometimes.

Tour of Britain Devon Stage today - Hurrah. We went to Merrivale , near the top of KOM section. Rode a hilly 5 miles each way in from postbridge. 6 yr old gets big respect for doing it sensibly on his own bike. Also went tto teh Cycle circus crazy bike session in Princetown. 6 yr old managed to crash a kids tandem and drop his stoker off the back - oooops.

Got up early today and did my first ever 15 miles.

Got shouted at by a pedestrian as well so feel like a fully fledged cyclist.

Was on a shared cycle/walkers path. Going slowly as there were people and dogs, 3mph slow. Sme suicidal dog that was sniffing another dogs bum swerved infront of me and nearly made me crash as I couldn't clip out fast enough. I didn't shout at anyone but in shock quietly muttered "bloody dog". The owner didn't hear me as that wasn't the intention but another dog owner started shouting at me that it wasn't a bloody dog and the incident was my fault. I shouted back it wasn't and cycled off.

I mean I have a dog and I don't let it run out of control on the cycle path. When I see a cyclist I hold the dog till the bikes gone by.

I was shouted at a year ago was on a path in a park and a man shouted that it was a pedestrian Path and I was being bloody unresponsible, I slowed down and had went on the grass so to give them room, I cycled off and didn't say anything but saw him on my way back, so shouted at him that anyone could use the path as long as they were responsible for their or their dogs actions, he said nothing and I was very pleased with myself

Hello! I've been lurking here for a bit, but thought I'd actually post now that I have my 'new' bike & have gone out this morning for the 1st proper ride!

Forced dd to get up early so we could get in a good run before ds had to go to football... She wasn't pleased, but we managed a big loop which ended up being 19.7 miles so I'm pretty pleased with that! :)

The bike is a Giant FCR3 & I got it second hand at our LBS. Very happy with it so far, but am still coming to terms with the thumb gear changing! DH's MTB (which I was riding) has the normal twist action, so this is taking some getting used to but I think it will be easier!

This may be it for the week as our forecast is rain, rain & more rain with wind! Today was perfect weather so glad we did get out!

Hope everyone is enjoying some cycling this weekend!

Well yesterday was a write off due to over-exuberance on Friday night in order to numb the pain of some dreadful cabaret so we didn't make it down to Brighton. I got out on the new steed today though, and it is a wonder. I have discovered, as I suspected, that I need to change the saddle, I expect for a Spesh Oura or Toupe as I get on really well with the specialized saddles on my other bikes. As I said to a friend the other day, I must have a Specialized Bum

We didn't quite get out like we'd hoped, as about 10k into our ride we happened upon a lovely police lady doing free bike registration, so after getting our lovely carbon bikes marked up we decided to take the direct (5k or so) route home and bring back the hack and mountain bikes, so I've done the same 5k route on three different bikes this afternoon, and boy have I noticed the difference. The mountain bike felt so slow on our last run I wondered if I'd have been faster to get off and push! I'm pleased we've got them marked up and registered though - I urge you all to do the same! We're in central London, so a high crime area, and things like this - particularly the stickers that say your bike is registered (which I couldn't bring myself to defile the new bike with) - is hopefully enough to discourage the opportunist thief. I do worry about them getting nicked.

I hope you've all had a great weekend, enjoying the last of the good weather!

Foxtrot - what do they do to mark your bike? Hammer your postcode into it? Does this not risk your bike going rusty where the paint has gone?

Do people think that thermal cycle trousers of some description are necessary? Or would I be better off having non thermal ones and leg warmers?

I need trousers with a padded bum and the only padded bum thermal ones I can find are ££££. But I could spend £20 on leg warmers and put them over my summer trousers if that would do???

They painted over a stencil in a paint that shows up under UV light on the underside of the frame. It shows up in blue at the moment and will fade though will still show under blacklight. Said number is linked to our bike (make, model, frame number, colour) and our name/address so if they find someone else with it they can get it back to us. You can see more about it here. I was sad enough to ask whether the paint would damage the carbon on the new bike as I was being precious but was told it's good for everything.

I don't tend to wear padded trousers anymore - I just wear running tights, but when I did wear padding I used to wear my shorts under winter running tights when it was cold. Aldi and Lidl do cycling kit at this time of year (though you've just missed Lidl) and their padded trousers are around £12 a throw. If you sign up to their weekly special emails you'll find out about them the week before they hit the stores. Or you could try http://www.decathlon.co.uk/cycling-tights-3-black-sky-blu-id_8181342.html Decathlon ones for £20.

Thanks, will pop in to Decathalon next week and also sign up for the Lidl/Aldi offers.

The UV paint stuff sounds a lot better than the old method of hammering stencils into the paint work.

Aldi cycling stuff is in either next Sunday or the following Thurs - here's the link to what they'll have.