Ultymate Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I just got back from my 15M lap which I do around four times a week having lost 4 stone after heart by-pass surgery two years ago, I also do 2 one hour sessions in the gym a week as well. I'm determined not to slip back into old habits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hi Myron, Frank is right about cheap heavy bikes. There are some good bargains to be had, and an ex RR man will be able to fettle it to perfection. The most critical size is from the top of the down tube (the one with the saddle in it) to the centre of the botton bracket..Generally road bike frames are from 21 " to 25", Mountain bikes are smaller, and usually the saddle can be quickly adjusted for low for off road, and high on the road ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Leigh Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hmm not sure I agree with that Ernie. Only reason I drop my saddle is to ride very technical stuff. Fit is absolutely the thing tho. Frame sizing is really a guide as it's the length of your limbs that matter. I have short legs, long torso so I need a bike with a shortish seat tube and long top tube. But not so long it steers like a barge.I would also go to a proper bike shop. Halfords are generally pretty clueless about what they are selling. And do not try and get suspension on any bike if you're spending less than £400. It's add weight without adding any performance. Fixed gear bikes are scary I'm off again tonight to ride in the dark. Which is a huge amount of fun if you have decent lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Lynock Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Dawes are all made in the Far east now sad to say, I bet Richard Dawes is turning in his box at the thought of somebody sticking his name on a frame made in China or Korea. My Scott is all aluminium and made from hydro-formed tube for strength they fit a round tube into a mould then pump it up with oil so it expands to the shape of the mould. Once they have done that the frame is assembled and welded, my frame looks like a chunk of the Forth road bridge but is quite light for a big frame, the top tube is sqquared on the front end where it meets the head tube and must be 3.5'' deep x 2'' wide and the down tube is also hydro-formed where it meets the bottom bracket. The front suspension can be locked out which is useful and the brakes are the cantilever type as I dont like disks, they look a bit too fragile and exposed for my liking, regards, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hi Guys, now you may all not agree, but, on country roads at night, the best way is with the front light out. Your eyes adjust to the dark, and you can see very well. Of course, you do have a good light available for when you see a car coming towards you (miles away) or some crazy car driver needs reminding to dip his headlights, Of course Alex is right about all the dimensions being important, but I fear Grumpy Myron isn't looking for a bespoke job ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 Agreed, Halfords staff are rather poor at thier biking fiting/maintainence job. However, if you know what you are doing, then all is good, you see the bike and do all your stuff, then just hand over the money, no need to involve the staff! I have heard horror stories about halfords bikes, my dads handle bars came off and the seat post and handle bars came off my uncles bike. All within a week of buying the bike. However, my uncle still has his halfords bike and rides a 16mile round trip on it every day and often takes it to Wales for a bit of fun. So it seems that Halfords bikes themselves are acctually allright, but the people who put them together are, generally, not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Lynock Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Thing is to buy a few mags on the subject and learn about bikes, when you have bought your bike from one of the big outlets like Halfords then strip it down to the frame/forks and put it back together making sure everything fits properly and safely. If something is dodgy then take it back and get it put right, bikes are one of those things that require regular maintainance and it is expected within reason that you will have to dismantle it and put it together again without voiding the warranty. Do it carefully with good spanners so you dont turn the nuts into walnuts and you will be fine, bikes are not complicated things and you soon learn to adjust gear stops and other little jobs to fine tune it to your liking. I used to ride the most basic but fastest bike in the neighbourhood as a teenager, fixed gear so you couldnt stop pedalling but throw your weight back on the rising pedal and you could stop the back wheel dead, made a good emergency brake. One brake only on the front but dont be too enthusiastic otherwise your butt will meet the ground at considerable momentum, no gears either as there was only one cog at the back with no freewheel and thats what they meant by fixed. So you had a very light bike without all the junk and with the exception of wheels just one of what was needed to do the job, on Aston Velodrome I could hit over 50 mph no problem and keep it going for a couple of laps, regards, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 talk about going base over apex reminded me of racing my brother on bikes we were teenagers back in 1964 and we had built our own bikes from bits and peices, my brothers bike was an old 28in wheel ladies bike with the lever brakes with solid metal rods. mine was a single gear raliegh with cable brakes rescued from the local tip and repaired. we were racing from chichester town center out to the roundabout on the bypass, as we came over the railway bridge we were going flat out i reached the crest of the bridge and my coat which was tied to my handlebars dropped into the front wheels locking it solid and sending me skywards. according to an ambulance driver coming the other way i did two and half loops landing on the left side of my face(NOT RECOMMENDED) i spent two weeks in hospital with concusion and a face looking like it had been gone over with a surform i was in so much pain they gave me morphine this was wonderful stuff and i had some weird and way out dreams painfree but they only allowed me six shots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Foreman Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Tour of Britain will be coming past my place of work at lunch time, hope to grab a glimpse of the Peloton as it comes flying past Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDD15 Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Bromptons Rule! Bronwyn is sat under my desk as I type. OK, so I only commute 3 miles each way, but it is soooo good going past the standing traffic. Trouble is we are relocating and the commute will go to nearly nine miles each way. Not sure I will still be cycling, but you can get an electric upgrade for the Brompton! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 ouch!! Yes, went base over apex once.... There was I cycling along a country lane near home when I turned a corner to find three kids by the side of the road. You know when you look at kids and know that mischief is afoot? The view was helped by the fact that one had an evil looking catapult in his hand. I cycled past and expected a stone or something in the back of the head at any moment. Nothing came and about 100yds down the road I looked round at the kids. They were standing in the middle of the road looking at me and clearly deciding whether to let me have it. I was nearly out of range and breathed a sigh of relief and looked back only to realise that I hadn't been looking where I was going. I crashed into the grassy bank, went over the handle bars and straight into a ditch. Nothing was hurt other than dignity and a kinked front wheel. As I climbed out of the ditch and looked at the kids who were dumb struck, they'd done it without firing a shot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cole Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Terence: Rhiwbina. Welsh spelling is easy - it is 100% phonetic. It's just that the Welsh use different sounds (for each letter) than the English do. How would an Englishman pronounce Ynysybwl? No problem if you're Welsh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Hi Ian Nine miles are miles better than a measly 3...You will soon get used to the extra distance, and your fitness will improve at a great rate because 3 miles is really not enough to do much good...Another thing is that your nine miles will probably take you between half an hour and an hour, and it's good thinking time (if the traffics not bad) I can sort out all my wee building and flying problems during my hours circuit through the vineyards ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Leigh Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Bromptons are horrible. I used to make my brother's "heel click" by bunnyhopping it and folding it round the hinge Naming bikes makes it even worse! I've disliked a few bikes in my time but that 20inch wheeled folder was the only one I really hated. Nasty fusion between blind welder and shopping trolley Injuries? Hah. Rebuilt knee with 20+ stitches inside, bone floating about in both shoulders, one broken wrist, smashed ankle and bust finger. And that's before we get onto the minor injuries. All off road except for one road crash where an old bloke failed to see my four lights and yellow reflective jacket. Rolled a long way when I hit his bonnet. I find less than 10 miles either way not worth the hassle of getting your whatsit together. 35-40 minutes gets the heart pumping and you always feel great at the end of it. Out last night again. So dry and dusty here, Malverns at night are deserted so you can go flat out on loose, steep slopes. Scary but fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Lynock Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Ynysybwl? No problem if you're Welsh In - is - Boo ' el I think, Same as many of the little villages around Caerau like Blaengwynfi which is a bit run down these days, its pronounced Bline-gwin - vi but there are some that even locals have problems with. Just got back from the Pyshiotherapisst who said its Ok to use a exercise bike and once I have got this peg working better riding my mountain bike will be good exercise, drop the front wheel out to get it in the car and take it down to Port Talbot (Aberavon Sands) beach and ride it up and down there, the beach is about three miles long so plenty of nice flat sand, regards, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Leigh Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Terry, sounds a good plan. If it works out - and I hope it does! - you might want to consider a trip up the valley to Afan Argoed. There are some brilliant trails up there. Go a bit further with a slope soarer and you at the bwlch! I'm already planning a long weekend down there for riding then sloping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Lynock Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Dont know if you have visited Glyncorwg mountain biking centre, its just the other side of the hill from where we are going and has 65 miles of forestry commission trails to use, quite easy to get to and looks to be an excellent centre, regards, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Claridge Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 not far from you terry near kidwelly there is a warning painted on the road ARAF SLOW the a and the s have been word away by traffic, this sign is very close to the pembray raf bombing range and me and my brother often drove over it with harriers or f15s screaming down overhead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Mullins Posted September 20, 2009 Author Share Posted September 20, 2009 Ahh, you just gotta love Hampshire sometimes. . . Especially on days when its sunny, and you''ve been riding around on your nice new bike! Look at all those lovely smooth rolling hills to power up and down. I might not be doing lots of steep hill climbs, but I still need to buy myself some bar ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 A sunny day, some quiet lanes, can't beat it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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