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Bikes and biking

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:57 pm
by webberg
I suspect a lot of us use cycles?

The boys out there will be keen to show off their machines, whilst the ladies may be more modest perhaps?

What do you ride?
What colour is it?
What do you dream of riding one day?

I'll start.

Presently have a winter machine that is a Halfords Carrera TDF - yellow.

For the non UK readers, Halfords is a cycle/car parts store not renowned for selling expensive kit.

Recently though bought an Orbea Avant M40 - matt black and 8.2 of your earth kilos. Compact 105 groupset.

Bought it in a sale at the end of the season and have ridden it perhaps less than a kilometre. Looking forward to dry roads and no leaves in the spring.

When I win the lottery (may be a while as I don't pay the stupid tax) I want a Cervelo R5

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 6:24 pm
by Recess
I'm with you on the R5 - who knows who it might ride, but it sure looks pretty!!

I've currently got four bikes.

1) Single speed - cost 120 pounds, and weighs the same!! But it's a handy commuter bike to leave at work to race to the gym and back.

2) Giant Mountain bike - I bought the frame and built it with XTR parts the year my first girl was born. I should probably have helped more with the nappies, and taken longer with the bike...

3) Scott S35 Blue/Black commuter bike with 105 gears. I've had it since 2011 and it's done well over 10,000 miles since then. Sure, I've had to replace everything apart from the frame - any times over - but it's still a great work horse!!!

4) Scott CR1 - my 'Sunday' bike. Red / Black / White - carbon frame, Ultegra gearing - and incredible to ride after a week on the S35. The difference in weight and nippiness is so noticeable. You can see it set up on my turbo in front of my Concept2 in my 500m video on my blog. It's a sad truth that i don't use it much - I'd much rather spend free time on the erg than go for a ride nowadays. Partly because I commute on my bike, but also because I want to get better on the erg.

The one thing that unifies all the bikes (apart from the single speed) is that I use Adamo saddles - much better for comfort and for my private parts!!

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 11:38 am
by JonT
I fluctuate between getting most of my exercise on bikes and most of it on the erg. I never seem to be able to find the balance, probably because of a lack of free time. In terms of bikes:

My road bike that I currently ride (my aluminium Winter bike) is a machine I built myself a couple of years back. It has a Kenesis Racelight frame, Shimano 105 groupset including brakes, cheap Shiman wheels. I really enjoyed building this bike and it's still running sweetly with minimal TLC, which is how a Winter bike should be.

My carbon road bike is for the Summer months. It's a Cannondale Six. I've spent more on parts than I did on the original bike and it now has a FSA K-force Light Carbon chainset and Mavic Ksyrium wheels (aluminium rather than Carbon but very light and easy to maintain).

Off road I use a Canyon XC full-suspension mountain bike with Fox suspension, SRAM X0 groupset and DT Swiss wheels. This is a few years old now and so has unfashionable 26-inch wheels and is really better suited to gentle trails than the hills I tend to throw it down in South Wales. I also borrow my son's Orange Five when he's not looking.

My 50th year approaches and a road bike of my dreams is twinkling in my eye. I'm thinking of sticking with Cannondale and looking at the SuperSix Evo. Don't think I'll go all hi-tech with electroic gears though.

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 9:39 am
by webberg
and who uses Strava?

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 10:27 pm
by JonT
webberg wrote:and who uses Strava?
I'm on Strava. I use it all the time. Miles better than Garmin Connect, though I use a Garmin to capture the data when I'm out.

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2016 11:01 am
by Tgtaylor
Well I used to like the conventional bike until I tried to go fast on them. Sadly found my spine did not take kindly to the effort (and maybe saddle combination) :-({|= . So about 5 years ago I tried a recumbent 2 and 3 wheeler. The 2 wheeler I found ok except when steering when traveling slowly, my foot would come in contact with the front wheel, and trying to start on even a small hill was extremely tricky :evil: . The Trike was great, soooooooooooo comfortable, and within a year bought one on Ebay. It’s a red ICE QNT (Narrow Track 2005 ish) 3 x20” wheels and 27 gears. The first time I took it out I must have cornered it on two wheels a half a dozen times at least :lol: :lol: . Now I can lean it, and tend to slide round the sharper corners. Yes its slower (much slower ) up hills :( , but faster down hills. Overall it is slower (well around Seaford area it is). But it is great fun to ride, and it’s nice to be able to do a 100+ mile ride again :D . I admit I’m a bit older and not putting in the power I used to be able to do, but have no bad spine pain since riding it. The other disadvantage is it has 3 tracks so much harder to avoid potholes etc. As for safety most motorist are unsure about it and overtake with a huge gap between us ( some taxi’s come in a bit closer) but most of the time I could lean out with an outstretch arm and not come close to touching the overtaking car ( a bit different to my experiences on two wheels). The main danger I found, is that when riding down country roads, some cars will not wait (even a few seconds) to overtake me [-X [-X , and will do so on blind corners and other places inappropriate to overtake. Overall I would say its comfortable fantastic fun in the dry!!!! ( being so low down venerable to spray-wash from passing traffic). If you ever get the chance I would certainly recommend having a go on one. What would be great would be the same with suspension, but would also like to have a go on their latest racing version.

Re: Bikes and biking

Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:34 am
by dr3do
JonT wrote:
webberg wrote:and who uses Strava?
I'm on Strava. I use it all the time.
There's a nice Rowing Cycling club, the Free Spirits Cycling. :mrgreen: