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The Cycling Chat Thread

I tried flats on my gravel bike but absolutely hated them. Just feels weird not being clipped in. Got SPD’s now and it’s so much nicer.
 
Five Tens and DMR Vaults 👍 I never drop a pedal since I started using this combo.

Those are 5-10’s in that picture. I also have Freeriders and yes, stick to the pedal like glue. These are trail cross ones and the sole is a little bit firmer, hopefully will soften up in time. But all the gunk on the shoes washed clean off last night and this morning they are dry as a bone, the Freeriders would be ruined if that had happened...

Do have my eye on some vaults though, a purple iridescent colour pair, need to save some pennies though.
 
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I have never heard of five tens and am trying to work out if they're a style of shoe or a brand. Also trying to find a cycle site that let's you search by shoe size :mad:. I have an empty Xmas list at the moment and we're actually not completely skint for once.
 
I have never heard of five tens and am trying to work out if they're a style of shoe or a brand. Also trying to find a cycle site that let's you search by shoe size :mad:. I have an empty Xmas list at the moment and we're actually not completely skint for once.
Brand. They're trainers but with a special soft grippy sole that sticks to pedal pins really well.
 
Brand. They're trainers but with a special soft grippy sole that sticks to pedal pins really well.
I was confused by some of them being Adidas and some of them not but I've worked out why now. I will be having some at Christmas.

Though my cycling has pretty much ground to a halt now that I have an uncyclable commute. It's not so much the twenty miles that bothers me it's the state of the only A road that goes there (70mph all the way no usable cycle lane).
 
A long shot, but if there are any Brum/Black Country cyclists on here I’m looking for some new canal cycle routes. I’ve done south Birmingham and round Digbeth/town to death during lockdown. If anyone has got any unusual/lesser known gems post em up please.....
 
A long shot, but if there are any Brum/Black Country cyclists on here I’m looking for some new canal cycle routes. I’ve done south Birmingham and round Digbeth/town to death during lockdown. If anyone has got any unusual/lesser known gems post em up please.....
I never use the canals but if you ever fancy exploring nice quiet country roads and lanes on the north of the city - out through Sutton park and past Lichfield etc give me a shout :)
 
A long shot, but if there are any Brum/Black Country cyclists on here I’m looking for some new canal cycle routes. I’ve done south Birmingham and round Digbeth/town to death during lockdown. If anyone has got any unusual/lesser known gems post em up please.....

tbh when I've ridden canals they've all seemed much the same to me. You're in the same place as me so riding down the canal through solihull and out to earlswood I think and then on to stratford (again I think, does it go to leamington/warwick? idk) if you are looking for something longer. I prefer the Rae Valley Route tbh, and the canal surface goes bad when you cross over the border into Solihull council area.

I've ridden from Digbeth up to spaghetti junction a few times for work and it's quite nice seeing spaghetti junction from the underside like that. You follow the canal up from Digbeth.
Ditto riding to the Ackers Adventure centre by canal, but there's nothing that I remember really that stands out along that canal.

I've once many years ago ridden the canal up from Gas Street Basin to Wolverhampton but I don't remember anything much. There's always some good graffiti around whereever I've been.

idk I just feel like one canal is the same as another so not sure what you're looking for but if you can elaborate I've ridden around quite a few of them for work purposes over the past few years.
 
For me: gravel bike clipless, xc bike flats. Flats for the xc bike because in practice I only use it for trails... want some five tens, but expensive. Also want to change the drivetrain as I mentioned upthread, so that bike is a bit neglected at the moment. Silly really, more fun doing trails in this weather than long road rides.
 
Thanks beesonthewhatnow and BigTom

I've done the route from Digbeth (and under spaghetti junction) going via Erdington to Sutton Park a few times. I’ve also cycled to Warwick from Strichley branching off near Kings Norton. I’ve also kept on the other spur and gone down to Redditch (and then wondered why when I got there!)

I guess what I’m looking for is new routes - for a change, for the exercise and for the variation. The one to Wolverhampton is a great shout as it takes in Smethwick Galton Bridge and the Smethwick engine. That’s gone on the list. As for what I’m looking to see - graffiti, industrial decline and heritage, green spaces, the unusual. I thinkI probably need to buy a map and just try different routes....!
 
Thanks beesonthewhatnow and BigTom

I've done the route from Digbeth (and under spaghetti junction) going via Erdington to Sutton Park a few times. I’ve also cycled to Warwick from Strichley branching off near Kings Norton. I’ve also kept on the other spur and gone down to Redditch (and then wondered why when I got there!)

I guess what I’m looking for is new routes - for a change, for the exercise and for the variation. The one to Wolverhampton is a great shout as it takes in Smethwick Galton Bridge and the Smethwick engine. That’s gone on the list. As for what I’m looking to see - graffiti, industrial decline and heritage, green spaces, the unusual. I thinkI probably need to buy a map and just try different routes....!

I think you'll find graffiti and industrial decline along any of the canals easily enough. I remember doing some led rides from Wolverhampton University along the canal from the city centre to some green spaces so if you go to Wolverhampton centre, do keep going along that bit of canal though I can't remember the specifics any more.

Birmingham Greenways Map - Bike Ride Maps, from Rannerdale Ltd this might be of interest to you, I don't know what the canal and river trust produce in the way of maps but they have some detail about the local waterways on their website: Birmingham Canal Navigations | Canal & River Trust

Cole Valley Route might also be of interest to you, it's a greenway like the Rae Valley Route, you can pick it up around Sarehole Mill or Chinn Brook park and follow it up the east side of Birmingham.
 
I think you'll find graffiti and industrial decline along any of the canals easily enough. I remember doing some led rides from Wolverhampton University along the canal from the city centre to some green spaces so if you go to Wolverhampton centre, do keep going along that bit of canal though I can't remember the specifics any more.

Birmingham Greenways Map - Bike Ride Maps, from Rannerdale Ltd this might be of interest to you, I don't know what the canal and river trust produce in the way of maps but they have some detail about the local waterways on their website: Birmingham Canal Navigations | Canal & River Trust

Cole Valley Route might also be of interest to you, it's a greenway like the Rae Valley Route, you can pick it up around Sarehole Mill or Chinn Brook park and follow it up the east side of Birmingham.

Perfect. Thanks very much!
 

good news, as long as it gets spent on good schemes, which it likely will in Birmingham given the council's recent record, can't see if this money has been allocated yet though or just announced for councils to bid for.

I mean ideally we'd be spending about £700m / year on cycling and walking infrastructure nationally but this is a huge jump in spending amounts. Remember the cycle city ambition grants a few years ago? that was £114m for 15/16 + 17/18 and then just £7m in 18/19. Can't find what the first round was in 2012 or 2013.
 
Just rode the Paris TdF finishing circuit on Zwift for the first time, it really brings home just how bloody quick the sprint trains are going. I also hadn’t realised what a drag it is up to the Arc de Triomphe - up to 4% at points, you really feel it in your legs trying to hold your speed.
 
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