Road Cycling

Soldato
Joined
24 Apr 2013
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3,067
@hellarda sorry to hear about that. Part and parcel of being a cyclist in the UK these days unfortunately. Things like this happen way too much to many of us and it's not right or justified. People really are all at each others throats for everything these days.

You are a bigger and clever man though for not rising too much to him and letting it stop escalating any further. I honestly would have embedded my chainring in his skull if he had done that to me. Which is absolutely not the right thing to do but you should feel good in the sense that you didn't escalate to that sort of thing within yourself when confronted.

I think each and every one of us here will go to our eventual graves still not understanding the logic of angry British people, who, when in the wrong (and they know it!), still go on the offensive rather than just saying a simple sorry and moving on with life.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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8,420
Location
Hereford
Honestly didn't do anything to deserve that kind of reaction. <snip>
Thankfully didn't end badly. Rant over.
You didn't deserve that reaction and he was a complete spoilt bullying child to react like that. But unfortunately the world allows these useless wastes of DNA to continue being members of society and giving them control of motor vehicles.

Well done for defusing the situation, but also well done for not immediately admitting you where at fault and giving in to him just because he's a driver and you're a cyclist. You'll (probably) still be going over things in your mind on what you could have done differently. There's lots, but it's over now. Just worth acknowledging that you where just the target for his road rage, it could quite easily have been someone or anyone else, cyclist car or anything else. He was obviously out looking for a fight. Just take some consolation that high blood pressure or cholesterol will likely take early in life, but hopefully not until after the law does for driving like a self entitled moron. Karma is a b*ch.

He just carried on with his horn, and we carried on cycling.
This. Although around here they'll overtake/close pass regardless of the road/visibility anyway. :rolleyes:

I realise I might be stretching 'Road cycling' but what are people's thoughts on this for a winter hack/doing a bit of gravel bike?
Seems a good setup for the money, but you'll find the low gearing quite limiting for 'winter hack' duties if you're doing much over 15mph.

Gear ratios themselves gives you a 0.89 lower (amazing!) and an 4.36 upper (not that bad really). https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_ratios

rather than just saying a simple sorry and moving on with life.
Most don't have the brain capacity to realise this, unfortunately that also means they have little capacity for compassion or humility (is that the right word?) and will go through life with very little reward.

Oh I understand angry british people I'm one of them when I'm behind the wheel at the absolute incompetence of at least 50% of people driving.
Increase that to 60-80% and it's not just when behind the wheel! See just as much when I'm riding. Maybe even more when around traffic when commuting! Number of people on their phones/tailgating/not paying attention is insane!
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Those of you who run tubeless. How often do you switch out your sealant and does it 'age' if on the shelf?

Redid my rear a few weeks back and it just seems to be bleeding a little air. Needing topping up more than once a week. It's an old-ish tyre so not impossible it's just had it's time, but could it be the Stans I put in it? It's been on my shelf nearly 2 years now. Any other cheaper sealant people like here? Price for Stans seems crazy right now.

'New' wheels - Fulcrums also are being a pain to mount tyres on and seal. They're sat in my garage with tubes in right now to see if that helps them. That could be sealant again as it's the same Stans...

How about rim tape. I'm going to ask a silly question, but can that age too? When fitted/not fitted? I'm generally thinking not, but just trying to rule it out!

Another thing I didn't do was remove all the sealant bogies from the tyre it when refitting it. It's possible they're the issue. Any tips for that? Last time I did it, it took hours with a cheese knife and blade. I see Muc off do a 'remover' spray, probably worth that price alone to reduce the days of pain I endured after the last time.

Also Merlin still generally best for groupsets/components? Pricing up what to change the other half to R7000 will cost.

But also do need to pull the trigger myself on di2 derailleurs. Just zero deals on them and if anything the SH prices have only increased through the year.
 
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Soldato
Joined
25 Feb 2004
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18,141
Location
Hampshire
USe it on my CX bikes and I'm quite lazy with it and just replace when it doesn't seal which usually involves some swearing when I'm mid ride about why it's not sealing...

I use OKO tractor sealant as I go through a fair chunk in the season as I'm having to swap out tyres every so often and water it down about 1:3. got 15 litres last time.. then I don't worry about being careful with usage which is a side effect.

Rim Tape no idea but i've never changed and getting rid of the old stuff I usually just run an old towel over the inside with some fairy liquid, gets rid of the worst bits.

Keep an eye out for the older non shadow Dura Ace if you're willing to go second hand, I got a new one for 140quid a month or so ago and a lightly used one for £100 the month before ( although this was DOA unfortunately but got the money back and the seller was really good).
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2005
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8,618
Location
Southampton
I realise I might be stretching 'Road cycling' but what are people's thoughts on this for a winter hack/doing a bit of gravel bike?

The spec is good, especially if you can get it for £900 with BC discount, ~24-119 gear inches is a decent range. The only real unknown is how the FSA chainset will last, but you could always swap that out, perhaps requiring a new BB at the same time.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
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14,762
Location
Barnet, London
Seems a good setup for the money, but you'll find the low gearing quite limiting for 'winter hack' duties if you're doing much over 15mph.

Gear ratios themselves gives you a 0.89 lower (amazing!) and an 4.36 upper (not that bad really). https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_ratios
The spec is good, especially if you can get it for £900 with BC discount, ~24-119 gear inches is a decent range. The only real unknown is how the FSA chainset will last, but you could always swap that out, perhaps requiring a new BB at the same time.

Thanks. I wouldn't get it with the 10%, I checked. You apparently can't get the discount AND use cycle 2 work. Tbf, through cycle 2 work it will cost me closer to £600 or £650 anyway.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Mar 2008
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22,862
Location
West sussex
Have not been on the bike for months :/ silly neck pain 10miles in is destroying any fun I had on it.

Been hitting the gym 6 days a week but I want to get back on the bike...

Not something I ever experienced in years of cycling before!
 
Soldato
Joined
29 Dec 2004
Posts
16,984
Location
Shepley
Thanks. I wouldn't get it with the 10%, I checked. You apparently can't get the discount AND use cycle 2 work. Tbf, through cycle 2 work it will cost me closer to £600 or £650 anyway.

I had one for a bit, they’re good bikes for the money but the geometry is very upright. I ended up selling mine because I couldn’t get comfortable on it.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
USe it on my CX bikes and I'm quite lazy with it and just replace when it doesn't seal which usually involves some swearing when I'm mid ride about why it's not sealing...

I use OKO tractor sealant as I go through a fair chunk in the season as I'm having to swap out tyres every so often and water it down about 1:3. got 15 litres last time.. then I don't worry about being careful with usage which is a side effect.

Rim Tape no idea but i've never changed and getting rid of the old stuff I usually just run an old towel over the inside with some fairy liquid, gets rid of the worst bits.

Keep an eye out for the older non shadow Dura Ace if you're willing to go second hand, I got a new one for 140quid a month or so ago and a lightly used one for £100 the month before ( although this was DOA unfortunately but got the money back and the seller was really good).
Sealant not sealing symptoms is really it either goes straight away, or more gradual like I'm seeing where it behaves like a slow puncture?

Tractor tyre sealant. How very CX/Belgian of you! :D :lol: So me considering using MTB/CX sealant on the road must be ok if you're using Tractor sealant...

Good shout on the RD's, I hadn't been looking at DA, just Ultegra. Hadn't found the older selling any cheaper so mainly looking for 8050 as figured would open up use of 34t cassettes...

GT85 big cans 1.99 again in Aldi. Probably needed with the current weather...
Good call. Put my request in for another 5 cans. Barely get through 2-3 a year but good to stock up when they're that price! Thanks! :D

Have not been on the bike for months :/ silly neck pain 10miles in is destroying any fun I had on it.
Rubbish, just flexibility and conditioning at a bet. Slow, gradual and steady buddy! Flip stem to get more upright - quick and easy/cheap temporary fix?! :D
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
4,617
I have a pair of bib tights, but the pad on them isn't great. I'm not sure whether to buy a more expensive pair, OR just buy some leg warmers to go with my nicer bib shorts which I know have a more comfortable pad. Thoughts?

I don't ride in the cold that often, so thought the money saved would be better off going towards another pair of nice bib shorts.

i used unpadded bib tights over my regular shorts for a while.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Sealant not sealing symptoms is really it either goes straight away, or more gradual like I'm seeing where it behaves like a slow puncture?

Tractor tyre sealant. How very CX/Belgian of you! :D :lol: So me considering using MTB/CX sealant on the road must be ok if you're using Tractor sealant...
Recalled my other half has Prime (at the moment) so got a 1L bottle of the Muc Off sealant for £21.89 Sure better than the £12-16 I was looking at for 120ml-250ml! :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
Random one... Anyone got any old but functioning 8 or 10 speed shimano shifters they'd happily sell? Or an old 8 speed FD/RD...

My other halfs old 8 speed is looking at insane money to replace the FD and RD. I put a 105 FD on there to get her going but it's rubbing quite a bit.

The current and old 8 speed stuff is pretty sold out everywhere or costing the same as R7000, but I have a 10 speed cassette so if I could sort her shifters, she'd be sorted - cheaper than buying old 8 speed! :rolleyes:
 
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