Any Cyclists lurking?

[Dancook]

Let's talk bikes!

I bought a mountain bike last year for a 5 mile (each way) commute which I've been doing for the last year or so.

Soon I'm moving and I'll be 12 miles from work, I don't fancy doing this on my MTB, so OBVIOUSLY I need to upgrade

So I'm looking to get this

SL Pro Carbon Comp

I'll have to switch my baggy's up for lycra too..

 

[Iccz]

So I'm looking to get this

SL Pro Carbon Comp

Quite expensive, I hope they put some pedals on if you pay that much for it!

 

[Dancook]

Quite expensive, I hope they put some pedals on if you pay that much for it!

wouldn't be surprised if they don't although I will be looking to get SPDs

I hope to cycle 120 miles to my parents one day... and this will be the bike I'll do it on

 

[bazonix]

thats a nice bike... but for commutes, id rather be sporting a 700c cannondale bad boy ultra....

Cannondale | Bad Boy Ultra

Wheelbase - Cannondale: 2010 Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra 700c

or... if u like the riding position of the racer.... go for it!!

 

[Dancook]

thats a nice bike... but for commutes, id rather be sporting a 700c cannondale bad boy ultra....

Cannondale | Bad Boy Ultra

Wheelbase - Cannondale: 2010 Cannondale Bad Boy Ultra 700c

or... if u like the riding position of the racer.... go for it!!

I've had enough of being up right in the wind I need to streamline

 

[mushk1n]

I prefer the Giants or Specialized ranges, you can pickup fully carbon ones for about that price, and they are guarenteed to be built well.

I've got a Specialized myself but a lot of the people I've ridden with have fully carbon Giants and swear by them, so maybe worth a lookup.

 

[bazonix]

well dont forget the sharkskin suit and the carbon helmet....

Giro / Cycling Helmets

 

[Dancook]

well dont forget the sharkskin suit and the carbon helmet....

Giro / Cycling Helmets

I do actually have a Giro helm, but it's a MTB one - so I will need to get a road one. I read they have better air flow to the head

 

[benhaha85]

There's nothing more depressing than being on a MTB on the road, sweating bucket-loads and nearly collapsing over the handlebars due to exhaustion when some streamlined sod comes screaming past, gives you a cheery hello and then buggers off into the distance.

Off road is where the fun is though

 

[Dancook]

For a few weeks I'd been taking the cycle route to work, it's much more relaxing the road...

But since there are a lot of dog walkers, you do get quite a bit of dog crap on the path... I failed to miss one the other day, I'm back to cycling on the road.

 

[scsracing]

I prefer the Giants or Specialized ranges, you can pickup fully carbon ones for about that price, and they are guarenteed to be built well.

I've got a Specialized myself but a lot of the people I've ridden with have fully carbon Giants and swear by them, so maybe worth a lookup.

Doubt there are any specialized bikes with the same spec as that with the same quality group set.There is one in my local lbs and its got a 105 groupset(one below ultrega)and its £1599 due to the fact its last years model.

Another brand you may want to consider is boardman.There gained many high reviews for under £1000 road bike.The team carbon is £999 with the sram rival groupset.Or the pro carbon which is around£1599 and has the same frame as the £3300 boardman race prep apart from it has a different groupset and wheels.

Alternatively boardman did a road bike last year which was the boardman pro and it only had a carbon rear triangle and forks but came with full dura ace groupset with ritchey wcs finishing kit and can be had on ebay for about £600-£700 now.If i was going to have any i would get the old boardman pro and spend the extra £500-700 you have saved on wheels.

You will get the best value if you buy a used road bike as most have only seen a few hundred miles as people get bored of them or find the bike is not for them.

 

[Dancook]

cheers for advice.

I'm going to see if I can get a C2W deal going at work, if not I might take a ponder at ebay just to see what's on offer.

 

[scsracing]

cheers for advice.

I'm going to see if I can get a C2W deal going at work, if not I might take a ponder at ebay just to see what's on offer.

If you do get the C2W then you can get pretty much any bike available in the uk on it as its through halfords and they can order in any bike that is sold in the uk apart from the odd few brands.

Word of warning though you can order specialized through them but the lifetime warranty you do not get as it goes to the first owner of the bike and is non transferable and the way halfords order it means that they are the first owner on paper .

 

[SBanga]

I'm a cheap bike user I've been using my Giant Escape M1 to commute to and from work for just over a year now. Does the job for me and I don't tend to get left too far behind by road bike users.

Quick question though. I tend to get punctures quite regularly. It's always in different places so it's not something in the tyre (first thing I checked). Are my roads just particularly bad or am I pumping up the tyres too much (always at the top of their range at 60 psi)?

 

[dan1979]

I wouldn't go for anything like those suggested. Assuming you're doing 12 miles each way five days a week that's 120 miles per week and you'll be eating through chains and cassettes (particularly in winter and in the rain). The cost will soon mount up.

After destroying numerous hubs, cassettes, chains, etc. on two bikes I've gone single speed. Unless the route is ultra-hilly I would avoid gears altogether or go for hub gears for lower maintenance.

 

[Dancook]

I think that's something i'm going to have to learn for myself still going to be cheaper than running a car.

 

[IronGiant]

I wouldn't go for anything like those suggested. Assuming you're doing 12 miles each way five days a week that's 120 miles per week and you'll be eating through chains and cassettes (particularly in winter and in the rain). The cost will soon mount up.

After destroying numerous hubs, cassettes, chains, etc. on two bikes I've gone single speed. Unless the route is ultra-hilly I would avoid gears altogether or go for hub gears for lower maintenance.

Oh for the days when you could go down the dump and rescue a 30 year old bike and get it running with some 3-in-1 oil

Dave

 

[Big Starbuck]

I'm just starting to get into cycling again. I've only been out the last 4 weekends so i'm doing about 15 miles (quite a bit up hill) and hope to improve upon this gradually until I am fit enough to do proper long distance again.

Here's the bike i'm currently riding... Click Me

I bought it last summer and didn't really use it as much as I intended to then the bad weather came into effect ( excuses ) so like I previously mentioned, it's only in the last few weeks i've started going out properly.

Whilst it's nothing special, it does the job and the lightweight aluminum frame is great. I didn't want to spend more at the time incase I didn't bother but if I keep this up for a long period then I may upgrade at some point.

 

[square-eyes-baz]

My kids are fed up with me telling that little tale

Oh for the days when you could go down the dump and rescue a 30 year old bike and get it running with some 3-in-1 oil

Dave

 

[figoagogo]

Oh for the days when you could go down the dump and rescue a 30 year old bike and get it running with some 3-in-1 oil

Dave

Tell me about it, just got a Specialized Rockhopper (previous bike was 8yrs old), and I dare not touch the hydraulic brakes, even the seat/post connection looks complicated now

I wouldn't mind but the brakes are not exactly perfect at the mo.

Bike in for its first check service a week on tue.