Road Cycling

Soldato
Joined
22 May 2003
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10,855
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Wigan
It’s been a really crappy autumn for riding! I had one nice ride a couple of weeks ago but at least here it’s done nothing but rain.

This weekends forecast, more rain with a side of 40mph winds.

I’m not going out if it’s throwing it down, just not enjoyable and ruins the bikes. Wet road, rain when I am out, fair enough, just wear a gilet but starting off wet is miserable, I’d rather ride the trainer but don’t do as long.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
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Barnet, London
With my cycle2work voucher expected any day now, I'm not sure what will happen to Halfords in the new impending lockdown? Just in case, I've had a look on Tredz and am considering this Beramont instead. Anyone know anything of it, or the brand? The other options are Marin, but I like that the Berger has mud guards and a rack already fitted. I'm assume my panniers would fit onto the rack?
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Nov 2007
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16,167
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In the Land of Grey and Pink
With my cycle2work voucher expected any day now, I'm not sure what will happen to Halfords in the new impending lockdown? Just in case, I've had a look on Tredz and am considering this Beramont instead. Anyone know anything of it, or the brand? The other options are Marin, but I like that the Berger has mud guards and a rack already fitted. I'm assume my panniers would fit onto the rack?

The Boardman gravel 8.9 looks far better in terms of spec and is a couple of hundred cheaper which would buy you the mudguards and plenty more besides.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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8,437
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Hereford
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:
Quite happy with this stuff so far. Really simple neat way of installing - it comes with a flexible tube that fits over a presta (with the core out) and over the bottle, then you just invert and squeeze it. So no messing around with syringes like before. Bottle has a gauge on the side (although hard to tell). Put 30-40ml in front and back straight in with the old Stans so will see what happens/how it behaves. Pumped up and could even see it (it's a white pinkish colour so stands out) in a couple of places already as it sealed. Tyres lost no pressure in the ~40 hours since install.

Considering getting an Airshot again. Stopped looking last time as I bought a bunch of co2. Now I've used 5 of those in fiddling with these Hutchingson tyres and swapping stuff around (and still got some them to mount!). Looked at compressors then as an alternative which might get more use, but again most of the small ones I found was hard to judge if they have the air 'throughput' to mount a tricky tubeless bike tyre...

I'm basically retired at the moment. Sprained my ankle 7 weeks ago and haven't been able to cycle or run since.:(
Rubbish! Hope it heals up soon! Get someone to look at it, or some physio?

It’s been a really crappy autumn for riding! I had one nice ride a couple of weeks ago but at least here it’s done nothing but rain.
Yup it's been grim. The last 6 weeks I've had maybe 5 opportunities to ride a saturday morning and have only gone out twice because of the weather and fairly sure I got wet and/or filthy both of those anyway. This weekend was a prime example, but the guys who went out actually said it wasn't bad! Wind sounded horrific here all weekend, can't imagine being out riding in it. I missed any of the long ride (100km+) starts on Zwift, so abused myself with a hard race and a shorter group ride that I swept some, climbed Legsnapper 4 times and had some sprints in. So built some good fatigue in 2.5 hours even with my shorter week of mileage. Caught Remco Evenepoel riding, then even chatted with Sarah Storey as she was in the same group ride and even got her doing some sweeping! #pro. :cool:

With my cycle2work voucher expected any day now, I'm not sure what will happen to Halfords in the new impending lockdown? Just in case, I've had a look on Tredz and am considering this Beramont instead. Anyone know anything of it, or the brand? The other options are Marin, but I like that the Berger has mud guards and a rack already fitted. I'm assume my panniers would fit onto the rack?
Looks quite a tidy build, quite a lowly groupset on it, but the 4720 is meant to actually be pretty good. On par with the old 685 shifters (10/Ultegra level) I'm using and then with the BR785 calipers (Ultegra level) on there it's really not lacking any stopping power. Wheels are probably not that great, also QR and not Thu-axle, but G-One tyres are a known good tyre and big size/volume (35mm) so would be comfortable. No mention of them being tubeless or compatible. It's quite bulky at 12.5kg, but that's nothing massive for that price point/design/setup...

Not my local shop... :(
Really? Mine did, although they closed for 2-3 weeks at one point due to staff needing to self-isolate, they where quick to announce they where 'open online', so possibly still shipping stuff out? All the other bike shops here have remained open and busy throughout. And still are, most with 4-6 week service leadtimes.
 
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Associate
Joined
22 Dec 2005
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1,196
Location
Cardiff
It turns out the Boardman Adventure isn't an option now... Got my code though this morning, head to the Halfords website and it's out of stock! :(. Hows the cyclocross as an option? One local store has stock of it. Might need to move quick I guess...

Why not look at a more robust Alu road bike with mudguards eyelets? Giant Contend SL disc or something? It can take up to 32mm tyres so will be fine on gravel etc but also won't be such a lump on the road.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
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Barnet, London
Don't forget I'm limited to places dealing with Cycle2Work. I'm generally more comfortable just buying it ready to go, ideally capable of rather off road type cycling if I so decide :)

I guess I might be able to test ride it. I was able to on my last bike from Halfords, but maybe not in the current situation.
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2005
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8,654
Location
Southampton
It turns out the Boardman Adventure isn't an option now... Got my code though this morning, head to the Halfords website and it's out of stock! :(. Hows the cyclocross as an option? One local store has stock of it. Might need to move quick I guess...

It says more ADV 8.9 stock arriving early Nov... How long is your code valid for and are you able to wait a week or so?

The ADV has more tyre clearance, it might have a bigger gear range and I think it has thru axle which the CX doesn't. Stock for the CX looks very low too.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
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Barnet, London
Well, me being impulsive, I've basically ordered the Cyclocross to be collected Thursday. I didn't see the stock coming start of November actually. I've not paid yet though and the guy was very helpful. I could probably call and ask to hold fire for the ADV. Do you think it's worth it? (I think my code is valid for 4 months, I was more worried about being left without anything for the next couple of months and I just happened to be literally 600m from a Halfords that had the CX bike in stock, in my size!)

It's funny, a friend has been telling me I'm suited to Cyclocross and I should give it a go, so I wasn't overly bothered switching to a CX bike :)

**EDIT** I've just checked with live chat, they're not due in the next 2 weeks and they have no further updates.

Watching a couple of vids, I get that cyclocross bikes are geared for lower speed and more manoeuvrability, which in some ways isn't great, but I like then I guess if the weather was nice enough I wanted to do a longer road ride in winter, I would still break out the Canyon. Maybe it's not bad that it's 'more different' to my road bike, if that makes sense?
 
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Soldato
Joined
12 Mar 2008
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22,921
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West sussex
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

Stem is flipped, and spaced up as much as possible :/ I'm having no luck with this bike... I've been stretching etc and will go out again soon now that the gyms are closing just to see how I perform! Not sure if it was a combo of heavy back exercise and cycling that messed it up last time but it really did put me off! It was only a quick lunch ride too
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Posts
10,646
Remember you can use you Halfords LOC in a local bike shop @AndyCr15 .

You might not get as good a spec for the money, we have had Cube Cross race £1000 and Cross Race Pro £1199 through the shop before any Cube Nuroad gravel bikes have come in any great numbers. Cube starter CX models tend to be road geared and the higher spec move to single ring.

I'd prefer a CX bike to Gravel for the more aggressive geometry, some Gravel bikes feel like artic lorries to me.

 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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8,437
Location
Hereford
Watching a couple of vids, I get that cyclocross bikes are geared for lower speed and more manoeuvrability, which in some ways isn't great, but I like then I guess if the weather was nice enough I wanted to do a longer road ride in winter, I would still break out the Canyon. Maybe it's not bad that it's 'more different' to my road bike, if that makes sense?
Totally makes sense and is something you kinda do get with a gravel bike, it's quite 'same-y' as a road bike. Particularly if (like me) using one with it set up semi-aggressive and fast... Makes justifying having a dedicated road bike a hard choice - and not one I've made yet! :o

The CX will be well suited as a commuter, they're rugged and generally built a bit tougher. Tyres also more suited to british off road you're after, than the general 'gravel' tyres which are not. CX will also be quite stiff so will feel responsive and direct even with the weight, although you'll be sacrificing quite a bit of comfort. CX as a sport and the bikes for it are designed for short & hard races, not comfort! ;)

Stem is flipped, and spaced up as much as possible :/ I'm having no luck with this bike... I've been stretching etc and will go out again soon now that the gyms are closing just to see how I perform! Not sure if it was a combo of heavy back exercise and cycling that messed it up last time but it really did put me off! It was only a quick lunch ride too
Rubbish, fingers crossed just the gym side of things, unless all the saddle tweaking you did has screwed your usual position on there too? Just trying to think of other causes rather than saying to 'HTFU you've gone soft!' :D

What's the Black & Orange one on the top left? Looks very 'TCR' esque in shape...

Not many Cubes around here that I've seen, nor LBS who deal them so largely a brand I've not looked at.

I think I'll very likely sell the eBike commuter too.
Forgot you'd even got that! Just use that with some guards on it for commuting and see how well you get on? Or other reasons not to? To be fair the money it's worth now, almost better to sell it, buy a cheap commuter and save the rest. It's probably increased in value since you got it! :D
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Mar 2013
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3,022
Location
Lincolnshire
New wheels that I originally ordered for the end of Jan should arrive tomorrow all being well :) I went for Hunts aero wide wheels , not sure whether I'll fit them straight away or save them until Spring. Hoping for a big upgrade as my bike(Triban 5) is still running it's stock wheels from whenever it was new.. (2014/15 ?)

Did discuss with a few people in work who are far more in to cycling than I've been in the past. Plan to remove cassette and switch everything over to the new wheels myself, but we'll see how that goes :p


Edit: Well the weather looks great for Thursday, and as long as I can grab drivetrain cleaner from Halfrauds tomorrow then I suppose I could change the cassette over tomorrow afternoon, ride them in the dry on Thursday and then switch back for rainy days if needs be :p
 
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Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,437
Location
Hereford
New wheels that I originally ordered for the end of Jan should arrive tomorrow all being well :) I went for Hunts aero wide wheels , not sure whether I'll fit them straight away or save them until Spring. Hoping for a big upgrade as my bike(Triban 5) is still running it's stock wheels from whenever it was new.. (2014/15 ?)
Nice to get them so soon with the long delay mentioned on their site! Congrats!

Yeah really would say to abuse the old wheels over winter, those Hunts are nothing special but will feel worlds apart to your stock wheels! :D

But switching cassette each time you want to switch wheels will rapidly turn into a ballache. By all means switch it and ride your new wheels for a week or so, but then be prepared to put them away and just ride the old for a few months. It's looking like it's going to be a proper winter this year and we've had a bunch of rain already. I'm crossing my fingers we get a cold/crisp one and not a cold&wet one... :o
 
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