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The Cycling Chat Thread

Friend had the bicycle thieves try and fail to remove his steed last night but have kept the QR skewers out of spite. I have an old pair I kept which he can have but they're from 700c wheels and his are 27.5 inch. They're not likely to fit, are they? My google fu is shit this morning.

Any of the resident mechanics and bodgers about? weepiper ?
 
The Boy said:
Friend had the bicycle thieves try and fail to remove his steed last night but have kept the QR skewers out of spite. I have an old pair I kept which he can have but they're from 700c wheels and his are 27.5 inch. They're not likely to fit, are they? My google fu is shit this morning.

Any of the resident mechanics and bodgers about? weepiper ?
Click to expand...
they should be fine :)
 
Finally got round to sticking my 'new' (bought off a club member) pedals on this week. 140g lighter than the previous pedals. Already exploiting the marginal gains with six KOMs since Friday (two taken off a local GB rider). I'm slowly adding better parts to my bike, the club has a for sale page on Facebook and it's great for picking up cheap bits, often unused. I bought my bike second hand, a good frame which had been built up with low-end campagnolo stuff (Veloce/Vento), so far I've replaced the wheels (Kysrium), tyres, pedals & rear cassette. Watching some better brakes on eBay at the moment. Give it a year or so and it'll be fully Super Record equipped at this rate :)

Unfortunately the ratchet fell off my shoes a couple of weeks ago, a tiny screw had worked loose and dropped out. Wiggle won't replace it as they don't hold spare parts (and not in warranty), so one foot isn't bound in very tightly, which means I'm not getting full power out of it.
 
Dogsauce said:
Unfortunately the ratchet fell off my shoes a couple of weeks ago, a tiny screw had worked loose and dropped out. Wiggle won't replace it as they don't hold spare parts (and not in warranty), so one foot isn't bound in very tightly, which means I'm not getting full power out of it.
Click to expand...
What shoes?
 
I am feeling finally fully recovered from rupturing my AC joint (popped the collarbone up out of the shoulder joint and tore ligaments) falling on black ice in January. I went out for a big ride for the first time today, have done several shorter/gradually harder rides over the last month or so but did 26 miles largely off-road today, and got two top-ten Strava segments and 8 PRs to boot, so feeling pretty pleased with myself :)
 
weepiper said:
What shoes?
Click to expand...

DHB Carbon ones. I bought them off someone second hand, barely used, so can't really push Wiggle to replace them (they seemed to suggest they'd replace the shoes but I'd have to provide proof of purchase which I don't have). It's a tiny screw that holds on the receiving end of a ratchet strap, screws into a threaded bit built into the leather - I could probably find a way of riveting it back on to the leather (or I could splash out on the S-works shoes someone in the club is selling if I can sell a kidney).
 
Did my first audax today - 200 k - plus a bit extra - loved it in the main - with sprinklings of hate throughout and a good dollop of hate to finish when it got dark and I was in high wycombe and the end was back in london..... ill definitely be back for more though.
..but I need to get quicker, took me fucking ages!
 
Er... set off about 8:45 as I was late to the start - and finished at 8:15.... 209 km :oops:

I didn't feel that I had any oomph as I was knackered before I started as I'd had a busy week with not enough sleeping - also had a couple of punctures in the morning.

I may have been last but one to finish. I expected there to be more dawdlers like me, but most seemed pretty whippet like.
 
You call that slow? You had an hour and three quarters in hand!

I've squeaked in with barely minutes to spare before :cool:
 
A set of digital vernier calipers just fell off a high shelf and punched a hole in the top tube of my AG2R Focus Izalco. Just the $4k to replace the frame. Fuck.
 
Sent the magnificent Pashley Roadster Sovereign in for a service whilst I was away for a week on holiday. They found a few things that needed replacing...
  • brake cables
  • gear cable
  • gear and brake cable outers
  • brake levers
  • crank arms
  • bottom bracket
  • pedals
  • rear light
  • chain
  • front and rear tyres
  • rear inner tube
  • frame lock mounting thingy (replaced with three tie wraps each side)
They also took it upon themselves to move the rear rack and replace the original Pashley mounting with one of theirs. Hmmm... ok. But they used a F-Ugly nut/screw which I definitely have replace.

All that for a mere £315 too.
 
Haven't been on my bike for over 6 months, crappy weekend weather and general winter funk.

Starting to get on my bike in the evenings now, 1-2km a day the last couple of days, work my way up to actually being able to ride the damn thing without lungs falling out. Need to try and keep this up over April, May will be a bit mental though so I know I'll miss plenty of riding then.
 
I'm getting used to my new bike. Having used thumbshifters on MTB and hybrids for twenty years it's been a learning curve to get used to the gears on my rpad bike. Probably not helped by me always seeming to ride in the dark so I can't look down and see what the hell is going on

Did a lovely 25 mile ride yesterday to Tiverton and back . The gears are getting instinctive. maybe that was down to the two pints of Devon Dumpling I had in Tivvy :oops:
 
Anyone here who lives, works or studies in the Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell or Dudley council areas and would be interested in qualifying as a ride leader or a national standards cycling instructor, I have access to some funded places on courses in Birmingham this year through work.

Ride leader course is a one day course and teaches you to organise and manage led/social/group rides - don't have dates for this yet but will be on a Saturday or Sunday. Not good for sportives or audaxes but certainly more gentle / less serious types of ride.

National Standards Cycle Instructor Course is a 4 days course and qualifies you to teach children and adults - I know that Birmingham city council are looking for cycling instructors to work in schools so if you're looking for a new job this could be good - I think it's pretty hard to make a full time year round living as a bikeability instructor as you're limited to term time and I don't think much goes on from the November half term to the February half term, but as a part time or occasional job it can be great (stuff_it I dunno if your CRB would let you work in schools and the first course isn't until July so no good for you right now anyway but thought I'd tag you so you're aware just in case).
Courses are 12-15th July, 30 Aug - 2nd Sep and 6-9th Dec. You'd need to come and do a level 3 training lesson so we can check your cycling abilities to qualify for the free place (This is a 2 hour course which is also free).

I don't want to openly link to my workplace in case someone follows it back here to find my profile, but if you want more info, PM me.
 
Chains fucked, got stuck between the gear and the frame, sucked full on inside the middle :(

Looks like its damaged frame a little and I'll need to get it serviced or a chain break to fix it, I'll probably service it as I noticed the gears were a little weird yesterday

edit: Managed to fix this at least partly but going to be very wary of changing the front gears, stick to back gears. Looks like theres a local place will pick it up and service for £50 quid so I'll try and manage for a couple of weeks and get it in the shop when I bugger off on holiday for a week.
 
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Just wondering what everyone's thoughts/advice on personal safety while cycling alone? I've never really had any trouble before, in quite a few years of cycling. But something a bit troubling happened to me today.

I've been doing local rides recently in an effort to get fitter and lose a bit of weight. I was cycling along a country lane near where I live, where I've been many times before, turned a corner to see two men/youths up walking ahead of me. As I was about to pass them one stared started saying something about "I'm tired. Can i have your bike?" He repeated it a few times, and I just said no. He started to come near me, and I got concerned, so I accelerated. Lucky I did, as just as I did that he made what looked like an attempt to push me off my bike, but he missed me.

I did have my phone with me, but it wasn't on. Now I'm thinking that I really should keep it on when I go out. I'm also considering slipping a whistle in my pocket, that I actually bought for safety during a walk on the North Yorkshire Moors.
 
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I have worried about it, yes. In the city though. But always thought at least I can get away easier.
I always have my phone on, why turn it off?
It wouldn't help much though. Just one more thing to nick.
I suppose a whistle could scare some muggers off, but it might not.
I think the best prep is to be ready to speed off as soon as you feel threatened.
 
I'm only away from home for about an hour and a half, so I didn't think I'd need it, and if I did I thought I'd just switch it on.
 
First quick spin since I got the bike serviced, its like riding a new bike, barely out of breath and went faster consistently than I did before.

Still only a small one but its encouraged me to look at going further afield again, might try and ride to Chingford and back at the weekend.
 
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