Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Conversation >

Shiny new cycle help

Page: 1 2(3)

Tabitha Tickletooth

08:27 / 03.11.06

I only discovered that gearing tip when I bought my last bike! I was advised that you will considerably shorten the life of your gearing by running at either extreme. I'd never really thought about it, but it does of course make perfect sense.

Keeping warm - with Matt on the head and hands thing. Gloves are essential. I can cope with the rest, but my fingers freezing off is just waaaaay too much. I pushed the boat out and bought a pair of light but thermal lined gloves for £30 last year. I don't know how, but they seem to breathe quite well so that my hands don't sweat as they did in my old gloves. I got one of these little fellas as a present last winter to wear under my helmet, although it hasn't actually been cold enough yet this year. The rest of the clothing doesn't seem to make that much difference to me - I have a black Cat jacket that keeps out the wind and rain, is lined and has zips you can undo to let it breathe. Pretty much does the trick through the whole winter.

I have never discovered how to keep my toes warm when it gets really cold. If anyone has an answer to this I'll be immensely grateful.

MattShepherd - I've got really mixed feelings on the shocks front. The bike I bought when I started this thread was a Marin with front shocks. First time I had them and I thought they rocked. Sadly, that bike was stolen a few months ago and I bought a new Marin without front shocks. My new bike is a lot lighter and having recently had both, I think I'd prefer without. I do a reasonable amount of non-road but at least somehow formed path cycling, and obviously just trying to cycle from East London to Whitehall everyday means endless holes, bumps and the occasional pedestrian run-over, but I think I actually prefer the feeling of a hard front fork. There are arguments for both but I think it's probably down to personal preference.

Being a pathetic coward, I am still not running on disc brakes because they look complicated and frighten me.

10:56 / 03.11.06

So how is everyone coping with the return to seasonal temperatures?

I have been stocking up on all kinds of fancy (for me) wear. I have a skull cap akin to Tabitha's, along with funky headband/earwarmers in the same vein. Thinking is: I wear the headband for when it isn't too cold, but it's cold enough to make my ears hurt. Then when it gets colder, i will wear the skull cap. Then when it gets even colder, i will DOUBLE TEAM!!! The idea of this makes me bizarrely happy...

I have also been stocking up on cheap base layers from Decathlon, who sell stuff that is essentially the same as Nike/other branded stuff, but is unbranded so about 1/4 the cost. Whoop for saving! A thin base t shirt under a longsleeve seems to be working quite well.

I also have a thin wind-and-water proof jacket which helps to keep a large chunk of the cold off me.

I actually invested in my first ever pair of cycle shorts last weekend. I was embarrassed as hell until i sat on my bike and felt the true wonder of a padded crotch. I used to laugh at bike short wearers, now i laugh at the poor unpadded sods who'll never know the feeling of true freedom. I'm prettty sure i've been travelling at least 10 miles an hour faster since i started wearing the shorts, too. Of course, i wear stuff over them. My pride is hidden.

I also have some full length 'polyprops' and some waterproof trousers coming my way from contacts in NZ. These will keep my legs warm.

I have ordered some gloves from wiggle and am looking forward to having cosywarm hands when i cycle (the wait for them to arrive is geting unbearable!). Silk liner gloves bought cheap from Decathlon will add to the cose.

I figure thin layers of warmth protected by windproof shells will be the best bet. I will stay warm and protected, without boiling up.

On the warm feet front - I'm undecided whether to go for the classic overshoe to form a nice neoprene shell around my feet and shoes, or whether to go for a pair of Sealskinz, which are apparently very waterproof and nicely windproof without looking like nappies for feet.

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

11:40 / 03.11.06

Re. the shocks thing, one of the bike people was touting the "off switch" on the shocks for the Bad Boy saying that for urban travel shocks aren't as necessary and you lose a lot of power. Which makes sense, I guess -- your forward motion is diminished if a lot of energy is being sucked into that spring instead of just bouncing along the ground. Like skipping a pebble across a mattress instead of asphalt, maybe.

Tabitha Tickletooth

10:58 / 07.11.06

.trump - thanks for mentioning the Decathlon stuff. It does indeed seem much more reasonably priced than cycle store branded goods. There's one at Surrey Quays, apparently, so I might take a cycle over there and get some leggings. I will be waiting to hear what you go with on the footwear front.

On the matter of shorts, I was pretty impressed to see that for guys they do these really cool shorts which have sneaky cycle shorts built inside and normal shorts on the outside. They are quite light, I'm informed by the guy in the store, and more comfortable than wearing two pairs of shorts. Unfortunately, they cost the equivalent of about 6 pairs of shorts (from what I can see) so there is definitely a price to pay.

So, MattShepherd... any additions to the family you'd like to tell us about yet? Did you come to a final decision? I've not heard about the 'off' suspension option. Sounds pretty cool - like 4wd for two wheels! Looking forward to shiny new cycle news.

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

11:24 / 07.11.06

I'm going in on Thursday after work to be fitted for my new baby and a pair of clip shoes:

and I'm SUPER EXCITED.

The trip will also involve some research into winter tires for my soon-to-be-old mountain bike. I might try to go four-season this year, but you should never ride a "good" bike in the winter, as the salt on the road just chews through the aluminium/alloy frames.

I picked up a mediumweight Smartwool shirt (long-sleeve zip) last week and went for a run in it at zero degrees Celsius last weekend, and it was FANTASTIC. They're on sale, so I might pick up a lightweight version as an undercoating for winter cycling if there are any left by the weekend.

11:41 / 07.11.06

This is all fantastic advice. I really like this thread.

Now, which clever person can help me find a bike for TLB for Christmas? His current bike is small for him really and only has five gears. It was never meant for proper cycling, just for mucking about on. He's nine so he has to have a children's size frame but he needs a bike he can commute on since he cycles nearly eight miles a day. Kids bikes seems to be all about the colour, or the trickery and he just needs a good road bike. What shall I buy?

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

12:09 / 07.11.06

I'd encourage something with wide tires like a mountain bike -- he's not biking for speed, really, and fatter tires give more stability and safety.

12:39 / 07.11.06

I'd recommend against a mountain bike, or at least against knobbly tyres - they'll really slow him down on what's quite a long commute for his age.

I've seen good reviews for Islabikes (http://www.islabikes.co.uk), and Edinburgh Bike Co-op have a good range of children's bikes (http://www.edinburgh-bicycle.co.uk/)

17:55 / 08.11.06

Ariadne, you're lovely! I've just asked in the bike shop and they said Isla bikes too. I looked and they've got adult size wheels but child size everything else. Clever, hmmm?

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

23:03 / 09.11.06

Dear Mister Kona:

I know we come from "different sides of the tracks," as it were, and maybe you don't respect me as much as you might, maybe we don't always see eye to eye, but I feel, Mister Kona, I feel it won't be honest of me, it won't be appropriate, if I don't just tell you right now:

I love your bike, and I intend to marry it some day.

18:18 / 10.11.06

TabTick:
When you head to Decathlon, be sure to browse all of the sections. I found the cheapest stuff to be in the running section. A pair of silk liner gloves that were labeled for running came in at £2 cheaper than gloves which were exactly the same but branded for cycling. Exactly the same. So hunting is definitely a good idea, but there are definitely some great bargains to be had.

My parcel arrived the other day for my awesome bike pump and awesome winter gloves! I am happy.

It's very satisfying to be able to find out the air pressure in your tires. I was shocked to find that my previous pump was only giving them 80 psi. I hiked them up to a good 120 and am probably going a good 30mph faster now*. So thanks, dis' for recommending that pump a little earlier downthread.

I have a bit of a glove dilemma tho... The gloves are lovely and warm and waterproof, but there is a little bit of room in them. They are the right size for my handspan, as recommended on the site, and they aren't massively big, but there is a good centimeter that sticks out at the end of the fingers. This annoys me.

They are the sort of glove that feel like they should be quite a close fit, and having them crumple and stick out rather than act more second-skin-y gets to me. I think i might return them, but i have a worried feeling that sod's law means the next size down will be too small. My general fear of complaining means i couldn't possibly send the smaller ones back if they don't fit...

Are winter gloves meant to be a bit baggy (i say baggy, but it isn't even that..), or am i right in my fussiness? The pair of innergloves i have is very thin, so it's not like i need much extra space.

Ho Hum.

I don't know how i've managed to commute in Manchester for the past month or so without getting hit by the rain, but today it happened. My jacket and gloves held up well, but i definitely need some waterproofing on my legs. And my feet. My poor feet. I think the way that shoe covers are designed means that water will leak through the bottom. I also think they'll get a bit battered by my metal toeclips. So i shall invest in a par of sealskinz. Then i shall surely want for nothing.

*This is a rough estimate.

Joy Division Oven Gloves

11:31 / 11.11.06

Are winter gloves meant to be a bit baggy (i say baggy, but it isn't even that..), or am i right in my fussiness?

Not in my experience, no, although they can feel unsensitive and bulky when swapping over from lighter gloves. It's a bit tricky if you can't compare different sizes without sending them off on but if the extra room is making shifting gears tricky or reducing the speed and ease you can get at the brakes then I'd definitely want to try a smaller pair. If it's more a case of them feeling a bit odd then you'll might get used to it even if they're not a perfect fit, depending on your personal fuss factor of course. They should last a fair number of winters so you should be happy with them to start with.

I've had a pair of sealskinz socks for years now having been convinced by a local bike shop owner to put a my sceptical foot into a bucket of water with them on. They really work and have lasted extemely well. Your shoes still get soaked though and with cold winter winds your feet can still get chilly. Also, unless you have a spare pair of shoes at the other end or are able to manage in socks, you end up with damp, squelchy shoes all day.

Overshoes look ridiculous (and in combination with my lycra leggings and balaclava produce a striking gimp-on-the-go-effect, as London's more friendly motorists have noted whilst waiting for the lights to change). They do keep my feet relatively warm and shoes dry though and I've not had any problems with water leaking in underneath. I cycle in shoes with a very stiff sole and the overshoes are a good fit for them, perhaps with a more flexible sole/poorer fit this might be an issue? You're right about toe-clips taking their toll, although in my experience they'll still last a long time.

18:03 / 29.03.07

Hello. I come seeking bicycle knowledge.

I'm in Cambridge at the moment, and it looks like I'm going to be here for another few years getting around by bicycle, so I'm thinking that it might be time to swap my cheapest-option-in-the-shop bike for something a bit nicer.

The first thing - and this seems to be a surprisingly hard-to-fulfil wish in the UK - is that I'd really like something with a skirt guard. At the moment, I'm restricted to trousers and skirts too short to reach the wheels (the latter of which obviously come with their own problems when cycling), and so I'm finding that 80% of my wardrobe is barely used. Which is a shame.

Also, does anyone know about how effective skirt guards are? Could I wear pretty much anything on a bike with a skirt guard without fear of it getting caught in anything or getting messy beyond any splashiness from puddles? And is a fabric skirt guard fitted to an already-bought bike as good as one of those solid metal ones like they have on lots of European models?

My second requirement for my perfect bike is even more shallow than the first: I want it to look pretty. Fortunately, most of the bikes which come with skirt guards seem to fit a nice kind of retro look that I find appealing - the Pashley Princess, the Electra Amsterdam (or indeed pretty much any Electra, but I think that's the only one with a skirt guard?) etc - but I'm liable to reject bikes that I don't like to look at.

Another question: until September, I'll be riding to w*rk, which journey contains a few bumpy tracks, some of which are also muddy when it rains. Are bikes like the two above okayish for that, or should I really stick with my mountain bike for that journey?

And the final difficulty I have: I'm not rich. So unless they appear much cheaper on eBay or something, things like the Pashley Princess are a bit out of my price range. I'm happy to wait for a while before buying a new bike, but it'd have to be before September, and would bikes just get more expensive in that time because of all the summeriness?

So... erm, does anyone have any suggestions?

Page: 1 2(3)