Cycling Thread - All Peddlers and Pedallers welcome.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Have started a new thread as the other one is very nearly full.

They are a bit too 'with it' for him Felix .

He is turning into the old man you think of if you think Carradice bags. Not looking for super fast but speed and comfort combined - audax special type frame apparently.

Long given up centurions and racing and that sort of thing and more interested in doing things like John O'Groats to Lands end, Coast to Coast etc., etc..

Sorry wasn't sure what type of thing he was looking for.

What about Feather Cycles? They seem like they would be right up his street. I'd be very jealous if he got one Very beautiful bikes and extremely well built.

He had already dismissed Feather Felix, I do not understand much of the very small differences to be honest.

He is now going to Mercia or whatever they were called next week, thread now on a different page! Next stop the one suggested up thread in Lancashire. I am encouraging him to visit two shops at least, even if he has to pay for an appt and decides against it ... Unless he absolutely falls in love with the first one.

This will be his fourth bike in current ownership and not the most expensive one either. We will need to build something to put them in if he buys anything else.

I am really pleased I posted because he had forgotten about the Lancashire one and has had others to look at again, if not new ones.

Damn, I thought I was on to a winner there!

I know how it is though - hours and hours of research involved to find something 'perfect.' I keep my nose out nowadays

I think Feather has an even longer waiting list Felix! They do look lovely, well, to me anyway.

Hours and hours and hours. I am very good at encouraging , I really want him to love it.

Glad I could help.

I would love to have a custom made bike but just couldn't justify the expense as I will never race. Am currently looking at upgrading to a carbon road bike so have been researching a bit but can't make my mind up.

Mumski45 thank you, it isn't his first custom bike, just a different type. Big birthday present, his riding has changed as he has got older (50). Now looking for something that allows him to tour efficiently all day.

Apparently it will cost about £2.5k which I don't think is too bad when compared with his other bikes. He has trained me well as I would never spend more than £750 on a bike for me.

We are going to the Lakes en route to the West Coast of Scotland, he is going to arrange to visit them then (210 miles from home), but is going to Derby on Monday.

Lavender we are off to Oban in 2 weeks time. I'm excited! Just bought a child seat for dd which DP is going to put on his bike. I've forced him to remove the ridiculous cleats on my bike so I'm back to flat pedals for now.

If you'd have said 2.5k to me before my DP got in to cycling I would have been but now I think it's quite reasonable make sure you let us know what he goes for in the end.

I will Felix!

He has changed his mind about Ellis Briggs overnight and might pop there this week too for something else to look at. I just let him get on with it really, I have horses which aren't cheap. I figure no grief = no grief.

We had some great bike seats. DD is now 9 and we are cycling into/around Cambridge tomorrow. She is a bit of a wimp in heavy traffic but getting better .

No bikes for us in Scotland, we are taking our canoe and have bought a tipi tent with a stove. I am really excited too - we are island hopping, no work, no wifi, hopefully no mobile signal, just books - bliss.

Ooh a cycling thread!

I would love a custom steel frame. My commuting bike has just bitten the dust and much as I love my little carbon road racer, it is not the most practical of bikes.

I would like a Rourke, but while I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it, I don't think I have the cycling chops to 'justify' it iyswim or not, as I'm not sure I do I have been firmly on the fence about this for weeks while DP tries to convince me to 'FGS buy a cheap allow road bike for now as you're as slow as all hell commuting on that MTB'

Felix, DH is at Ellis Briggs today. I think he is being led by build times tbh. Theirs is the shortest at 3 months, although he is still going to look at the Lancashire one and Mercian he thinks that they are all fairly close, same tubing choice, same components, just different people making them and some of the finish choices are different.

Apparently Feather are out of the equation because their order book is closed until June 2016 and then there is a order time on top of that .

He changes his mind daily atm.

an

Hi Rudy
Sorry no advice but am interested to know what you think after your test ride. I am currently looking at the specialised ruby and the giant avail.

I have a Synapse alloy, and really like it. Its a nice relaxed geometry, not skittish, and the disk brakes are excellent

Update here .... I spent a very interesting 90 minutes in a local bike shop this morning.

DH also looked at Bob Jackson frames (frame only supply) and Bob J recommended a local bike shop (only 20 miles or so away from home, they also have Mercians). Amazing place, third generation and the workshop still has the original benches/oak drawers etc.

This man runs the local CTC club, must be about 60 or so and DH (fairly reserved chap) and him were completely on the same wavelength.

They put together a bike spec with lots of mind numbing detail for one like me, down to selecting the particular spoke brand/measurements (this man makes wheels, not sure if that is common or not) - must confess I was slightly bored by the end of it. Much quicker build time - 6-8 weeks frame and 7 days or so to build it. No price as of yet but the EB was actually coming out at about £3k so doubt it will be as much as that.

Phew - big birthday present sorted. Even though DH said lead times didn't matter when considering places with long build times I can see it did.

As for me, I bought a used Dawes Galaxy (1995, would now be a super Galaxy apparently) with the same tubing as DH's new swish one. I wasn't even remotely shopping for a bike today but I thought I deserved it for sitting through it. I wouldn't have considered it before I entered this shop. They had 1950s touring frames in for respray which they were then re-building. It is in VGC but I can see DH encouraging me to change a few things in time.

Good Day - we ended it with a 20 mile ride, in the heat, with inhalers and clarityn on my part.

Sounds lovely (aside from the inhalers and clarityn, albeit salbutamol is part of my ride prep so I can feel your pain on that one!).

Are there any shorter folks on here who could advise me? I am totally happy to start my own thread, but my trusty commuter (2008 Specialised Dolce) has bitten the dust to a degree and I am left with my Thing Of Beauty weekend bike (little carbon Trek) and a mid-range MTB. Apparently my commute on the MTB is painful to accompany (according to DP and at 15.5 kmh uphill I kind of agree).

I really want a versatile summer / winter commuter. Sort of a forever bike. Although I admit I may be a unrealistic because clearly one bike doesn't fulfil all requirements. Biggish commute (11miles prob 3 times a week and then the rest are either 6 miles or WFH). I did this for years on a Specialized Dolce, which is a light use, entry level ladies road bike. Umm, yeah.

So basically I want a Rourke, or a Woodrup, or a Shand (to name a few). That's fine, but I am a bit scared to go through (not enough cyclist, too slow etc.) but an all-weather frame is hard to find as a short-arse. The standard go to Genesis Croix de Fer would involve me never putting a foot down. I'd love to find a cheapish bike to fill the gap, but struggle to find a fit.

Tbh I'm not sure if I want a tourer or a Cyclocross. Like the idea of the cyclocross, but as a committed roadie I hated commuting 11 miles on the MTB with knobbly tyres...

Cheers Rudy - my short (but not quite as short) friend loves her CX bike for general use and can get up a fair crack on it. That's kind of what I was going for, albeit the only women's specific one I can find to fit - Giant (Liv) Invite is really poorly specified for the price.

Tepmted to get an awesome custom, accepting of course I'll be faster on the carbon bike, and try to get the old Dolce repaired as a beater (provided someone can provide a fork with the right rake without crazy prices).

Anyone here who can help me with saddle issues please? I'm training for LEJOG in Sep (Deloitte RAB if anyone else happens to be doing it). I only took up cycling in Jan so everything's still quite new. So, I'm increasing mileage to around 60miles and I find rather than chafing, it's the pressure on my bones that gets sore. Does this mean the seat is wrong, or is it a downside of losing weight and not having as much 'natural padding' IYSWIM. I currently have a Selle Italia saddle. I've also got questions about pressure on labia, but being new to this group may save that for another day

Buffers, I think its a combination of things - is it the Selle Italia Diva gel you have at the moment, or another?
Also, have you got really good quality shorts/bib shorts?
And have you had a bike fit?

Losing weight does make my seatbones more prominent, but spending more time down on the drops or on aero bars shifts the weight off them - and onto your last question. Which is why I like a saddle with a big cutout

I am just over 5 ft I have a planet x carbon rt50 in xs, got it fitted with shorter stem and cranks. I love it and use it for club rides and off to the alps soon. I have an Isla bike luath 29 ( cross bike) with slicks for commuting, winter rides, pottering about. I got it second hand from a teenager in our club who had out grown it. It is such a comfortable bike, my DD is nearly tall enough and keeps trying to nick it, hands off madam!

I am just over 5 ft I have a planet x carbon rt50 in xs, got it fitted with shorter stem and cranks. I love it and use it for club rides and off to the alps soon. I have an Isla bike luath 29 ( cross bike) with slicks for commuting, winter rides, pottering about. I got it second hand from a teenager in our club who had out grown it. It is such a comfortable bike, my DD is nearly tall enough and keeps trying to nick it, hands off madam!