The Cycling Chat Thread

[PursuedByBears]

does it serve you well? is it good over rough surfaces? Leeds roads are like roads in Fallout 3 - post-apocalyptic pothole-ridden tracks all over the place, so need a bike that can handle that as well as be able to bear a rack and panniers

Yep, no problems with rough roads or carrying extra weight, I also have a pannier rack and cycle the long way up several big hills on the way to work. A great commuter bike, yours looks like the uber-fast version.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Three grand? Surely you could get something a lot more hardcore for that wedge???

 

[Orang Utan]

Three grand? Surely you could get something a lot more hardcore for that wedge???

It's £1775, so I have loads left over for panniers, hardcore locks and chains, decent lights, helmet, clothes and maybe even a helmet cam

 

[Dogsauce]

Could you not get something titanium for that kind of money? Lasts forever.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Blimey, it's hard to buy a bike right now - there is only one of the bike I want available in the country (via Cyclescheme/Ride To Work so I'm going to have to get a train to York from Leeds tomorrow to get it.
Getting a Trek FX4 Carbon 2021 - this time I decided on a hybrid with flat handlebars (I never use the drops on any bike I've had, so why bother having them? View attachment 283772

It’s not just the drops though, the front end is higher so it’s more a sit up kind of bike. Not sure I’d bother with carbon on a hybrid, you’re not going to be fast regardless.

 

[sleaterkinney]

It's £1775, so I have loads left over for panniers, hardcore locks and chains, decent lights, helmet, clothes and maybe even a helmet cam

That’s expensive for a hybrid, this is 900 quid

Escape 0 Disc (2021) | Giant Bicycles UK

Escape 0 Disc is a comfortable urban commuter bike, designed for city riding with an upright flat bar riding position and powerful disc brakes.

www.giant-bicycles.com

 

[Orang Utan]

It’s not just the drops though, the front end is higher so it’s more a sit up kind of bike. Not sure I’d bother with carbon on a hybrid, you’re not going to be fast regardless.

i like sit ups - so much better for comfort and safety

 

[Orang Utan]

Could you not get something titanium for that kind of money? Lasts forever.

i dunno about that sort of thing. there’s very little choice at the moment, so am going with that

 

[sleaterkinney]

I have taken your advice btw, more sore today than Friday or Saturday, hopefully at peak soreness now…

I’ve pushed through the pain and stuff, it doesn’t help.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

That’s expensive for a hybrid, this is 900 quid

Escape 0 Disc (2021) | Giant Bicycles UK

Escape 0 Disc is a comfortable urban commuter bike, designed for city riding with an upright flat bar riding position and powerful disc brakes.

www.giant-bicycles.com

It’s a carbon frame with a 1x GRX groupset and decent wheels. Slight bump because of the Trek name but it’s not a bad price at all.

 

[TopCat]

The more you ride, the easier it will get

Will have a ride later today.

 

[Cid]

It’s a carbon frame with a 1x GRX groupset and decent wheels. Slight bump because of the Trek name but it’s not a bad price at all.

It’s pretty good really… the equivalent price Domane is still alu. I suspect they realise the hybrid market will top out at the start of mid range for more ‘enthusiast’ riding styles. The most expensive is £2275 with 105.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

It’s pretty good really… the equivalent price Domane is still alu. I suspect they realise the hybrid market will top out at the start of mid range for more ‘enthusiast’ riding styles. The most expensive is £2275 with 105.

GRX is a great groupset as well. I have it on my gravel bike and it seems to shift a lot better/smoother than the (admittedly older) 105 on my road one.

 

[Orang Utan]

lol i have no idea what any of that means. i don’t even know what a group set is

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

lol i have no idea what any of that means. i don’t even know what a group set is

Gears and brakes

You’re getting a nice bike basically

Have you owned a carbon frame before?

 

[Orang Utan]

Gears and brakes

You’re getting a nice bike basically

Have you owned a carbon frame before?

nope, or at least I don’t think so. i don’t know what any of my other bikes were made from tbh

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

nope, or at least I don’t think so. i don’t know what any of my other bikes were made from tbh

If you’re going to be adding accessories yourself - or even doing anything approaching basic maintenance - add a torque wrench to your list of bits.

 

[Cid]

Tbf most parts on a carbon frame it’s not actually critical (at least no more than most bikes)… they use metal inserts, and generally haven’t encountered any problems with on-trail fixing. One area it is important is the seat tube, since that kind of has to be a metal collar on raw carbon. For that it depends on manufacturer recommendations… I’ve fixed that on the fly with no trouble, but as a general practical person who makes furniture and has worked in engineering I probably have a better sense of torque than a er… librarian.

 

[Cid]

Also with carbon bars etc, but I don’t think that has them. I have a lifeline torque wrench which is about £30 and fine for most users.

oh, also don’t over clamp the top tube in a repair stand. You can clamp it there, but lightly… a good comparison is whether it would hurt your arm (I mean obviously your arm is thicker I hope, but you get the idea).

 

[Cid]

Basic translation: if you need to move the seat up and down, be really careful when you do the collar back up. Ideally do it with a torque wrench until your confident about how it feels.

 

[nick]

Intuiting that Orang doesn't have a work stand - but if you do, then clamp to seat post rather than the frame (assuming your seats post isn't carbon as well)

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

OU won't be doing any work on his bike. Would be amazed if he even knows how to pump up the tyres, there certainly won't be work stands or torque wrenches going on.

 

[Orang Utan]

If you’re going to be adding accessories yourself - or even doing anything approaching basic maintenance - add a torque wrench to your list of bits.

the bike shop’s doing all that. maintenance is not for me, i’ll just take it for a service every now and then, and it’ll get a clean then too

 

[TopCat]

the bike shop’s doing all that. maintenance is not for me, i’ll just take it for a service every now and then, and it’ll get a clean then too

If you’re going to be adding accessories yourself - or even doing anything approaching basic maintenance - add a torque wrench to your list of bits.

You really should clean it thoroughly yourself. You will notice things coming undone hopefully before they fall off.

 

[nick]

I treat my bike to an annual professional service as well

Etiquette question. Should you clean it before the service, or expect them to do it.

I always tend to wash it first on the assumption the mechanic will appreciate not having to fight through loads of crud to work on it, and may therefore do a more through job.

Am I wrong?
Did I waste 30 min with it on the stand yesterday ?

 

[Orang Utan]

You really should clean it thoroughly yourself. You will notice things coming undone hopefully before they fall off.

can’t be arsed though - oily hands, yuck
i’d rather pay someone else to get their hands dirty. i don’t have the fine motor skills required for fiddly stuff anyway and I’m not interested in how bikes work, so why get involved

 

[Orang Utan]

I treat my bike to an annual professional service as well

Etiquette question. Should you clean it before the service, or expect them to do it.

I always tend to wash it first on the assumption the mechanic will appreciate not having to fight through loads of crud to work on it, and may therefore do a more through job.

Am I wrong?
Did I waste 30 min with it on the stand yesterday ?

i expect them to clean it cos that’s the only time it would get cleaned

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I treat my bike to an annual professional service as well

Etiquette question. Should you clean it before the service, or expect them to do it.

I always tend to wash it first on the assumption the mechanic will appreciate not having to fight through loads of crud to work on it, and may therefore do a more through job.

Am I wrong?
Did I waste 30 min with it on the stand yesterday ?

You are right to clean it, had my bike serviced in February and it was filthy as the days prior it snowed and I couldn't wash it in the snow, felt guilty and apologised to the man.

 

[weepiper]

I treat my bike to an annual professional service as well

Etiquette question. Should you clean it before the service, or expect them to do it.

I always tend to wash it first on the assumption the mechanic will appreciate not having to fight through loads of crud to work on it, and may therefore do a more through job.

Am I wrong?
Did I waste 30 min with it on the stand yesterday ?

You're not wrong. It's actually not possible to fix some things if they're encrusted in filth and if I have to spend significant time cleaning a bike before I can fix it I'm going to charge for that. Your mechanic will always appreciate you cleaning it first. Not to say I will turn a dirty bike away if someone asks us to clean it at the same time, so long as they understand I'm going to charge them a bit more.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Before mine has its annual service I give it a bit of a clean, so it’s nicer for the chap to work on. He then strips it to the bare frame and uses a plethora of cleaning products that mean it comes back looking factory fresh*

Last time it then poured down on the first ride I did afterwards, covering it in filth



*Pro tip - never get a bike with a matte paint frame. Mine looks cool as fuck for the 5 and a half minutes after any cleaning, then clearly shows every minuscule fingerprint and mark and bit of grime going