Cycling chat

[Nearholmer]

I’ll do a bit of research. Doesn’t one need extra tools/gubbins to deal with them though?

[Bernard Lamb]

1 hour ago, Nickey Line said:

 

Which are you referring to? The Firs certainly qualifies as old! And that's just the staff! 

 

It's certainly good value tho'...

 

No, The Green Man.

Various cycling groups have used it for years.

We had booked a table one day and on arrival found a tractor rally in full swing. They sorted us out very quickly despite the chaos.

At times when it changed hands it went downhill a bit but seemed to get back on track after a short while.

I have taken various non cycling friends there and they all seemed to like it, including an Australian visitor.

Not been post pandemic so interested in an update.

Bernard

[big jim]

Rode back from basford hall earlier (before then going onward to Nantwich and having an amble round the park to complete a 10 mile total)  

 

here is a comparison between an assisted ride and a jim powered ride 6 months apart 

 

powered 

unpowered 

 

 

interesting to see how the speed ‘spikes’ at 16mph on the electric bike which is where the motor stops assisting, I obviously then slow below that speed and it kicks back in before cutting out again and I slow back down again (and so on) whereas on the normal bike the peaks and troughs are smoother and the cruising speed on the flat is slightly higher, obviously I’m let down by the speed on hills being slower but there is only 0.3mph difference, as I get used to it   more I’m sure I can get the time to drop significantly 

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by big jim

[Nickey Line]

50 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Not been post pandemic so interested in an update.

 

The pub is now community-owned, apparently, and managed by a brother and sister partnership, and she is previous a Bake-Off winner... in hindsight we should have gone there today really. Another time...

[Mark Forrest]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I’ll do a bit of research. Doesn’t one need extra tools/gubbins to deal with them though?

That depends a lot on the tyres and rims, some will seat just fine with a track pump, others require a shot of air to get them seated.  One trick that often works is to seat the tyre using a tube, then unseat the bead on one side only to remove the tube, reseat the tyre and inflate.

 

There are various homemade options you can use to give the tyre a shot of high pressure air if needed, ranging from drinks bottles to old fire extinguishers; personally I use an Airshot cylinder which I inflate to about 120psi from a track pump.  It's never failed to seat a tyre yet.

 

 

[Nickey Line]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I’ll do a bit of research. Doesn’t one need extra tools/gubbins to deal with them though?

 

You also need to be aware that unless your bike is already fitted with "tubeless ready" rims then they will need replacing...

[leavesontheline]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I’ll do a bit of research. Doesn’t one need extra tools/gubbins to deal with them though?

 

I find it a right old faff to be honest. If I had one bike, that I rode on a regular basis, then I'd perhaps set that up as tubeless....... but....

 

You need tubeless/tubeless 'ready' tyres, really you need tubeless rims as well as the rim bed is shaped differently but having said that I have quite successfully converted non-tubeless rims into tubeless with the right rim tape. On many newer bikes (particularly mountain bikes) you may find your rims are already tubeless compatible. You also need special rim tape to cover the spoke holes (if not already fitted) and you will also probably need some sort of pressure 'booster' or special pump as you need a rapid blast of air to initially seat the tyres onto the rim beads (which can often be the trickiest part).

 

I had my commuting (road) bike set up as tubeless for a few months but switched back to inner tubes after wasting a whole day at the weekend patching a tyre and checking the sealant on the other wheel, which with tubes would have taken me an hour in the evening after work. In this instance the sealant had done its job and sealed a tiny hole without me knowing! My problem with this though is that I had no idea it had done this. In my line of work I'd call this a 'dormant failure' i.e. something has gone wrong but you don't know about it. This is one of my problems with tubeless - you are relying on that sealant being there inside the tyre and doing its job when you need it but there is no easy way to check if it is still there without releasing the pressure and opening it up which is a potentially time consuming messy task in itself! On this occasion it took me ages to get the tyres re-seated, but these tyres had gone on fine when new. The latex sealant can be very messy, there are tricks to getting the tyre to seat such as lubricating the beads with a washing-up liquid/water mix, filling the tyre booster to its max pressure (160psi in my case) and making sure the tyre is not resting on the ground so it is evenly loaded..... and so on and so forth. So all-in-all, a right faff and not something I wanted the worry/hassle of on the bike I relied on to get to and from work.

 

I have never experienced complete failure or loss of pressure out on the road with tubeless. In this instance I imagine it is also potentially very messy and you just shove an inner tube in there. I wouldn't use a tubeless setup on a touring bike - I'd want the reliability and ease of roadside repair you get with tubes. I have to add that I only have experience with road tubeless. It has obviously been more popular with mountain bikes for a long time and you can easily plug bigger holes out on the trail on knobbly tyres with the right kits.

 

I still have two of my bikes set up as tubeless as I still have plenty of life in the tubeless tyres (which are necessarily heavier and usually more expensive than non-tubeless)  so don't want to 'waste' them but these are bikes I might only ride in the summer, for example, so they may spend a few months hung on the garage wall. Although they hold pressure well, I still top them up from time to time and try to remember to rotate the wheels now and again so the latex doesn't pool and dry in one location. Then you read that the tyre/sealant manufacturers recommend you change the sealant every 6 to 18 months (or similar) depending on use and environmental conditions and I am thinking 'can I be bothered?' going through this faff this regularly! 

 

I do like the feel on the road of tubeless and rolling resistance is supposed to be very good, but for me, for road use, the downsides outweigh the positives so I will be gradually moving back to tubes when my tyres next need replacing on these bikes.

 

As you seem to be doing a mix of tracks, trails and maybe some tarmac too, the risk of punctures is probably higher than pure road riding, so the benefits of going tubeless may be greater for you. You might just consider some tyres with better puncture protection. Also, latex inner tubes are supposed to offer better resistance to punctures as they are more compliant than butyl but the downside is that they don't hold air very well so you have to keep pumping them up - I had some where it was difficult to tell the difference between a slow puncture and 'normal' air loss as they'd be virtually flat in about 24 hours!

[Nearholmer]

I have no idea whether they are or aren’t. I will peer closely tomorrow.

 

TBH, I don’t really want to get into it all unless I have to, but having looked there seem to be very few tyres that have the knobbliness I want for this application, and decent puncture protection …….. and they’re out of stock everywhere.

 

The heavy duty touring tyres I normally use cope with everything except wet grass/mud, and deep sand, so maybe I’ll just glue lots of lumps all over a pair! It was quite nice not to get wheel-spin anywhere today.

 

 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Nearholmer

[leavesontheline]

6 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I have no idea whether they are or aren’t. I will peer closely tomorrow.

 

TBH, I don’t really want to get into it all unless I have to, but having looked there seem to be very few tyres that have the knobbliness I want for this application, and decent puncture protection …….. and they’re out of stock everywhere.

 

Schwalbe Marathon tyres are supposed to be bomb-proof and come in all sorts of sizes and tread patterns. I find them quite heavy for my type of riding but I would fit them if I was doing a long tour, say abroad. 

 

The standard marathon tyre is more road oriented I guess but purely because I currently have the wiggle website open at the moment anyway (no personal ties, just a customer!) I did a quick search and there seem to be plenty of options in stock, such as these https://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-gt-365-dualguard-road-tyre.

 

Continental also do a tyre with a mostly complete centre tread but knobbles either side, that I have had good experience with in the past.

 

The problem I have found with 'knobblier' tyres is sometimes that the rubber in between the knobbles isn't that thick and sometimes not well protected against punctures!

 

I know there are lots of shortages in the cycle industry supply chain at the moment but I must admit tyres isn't something I have had a problem getting hold of ......

[Nearholmer]

That marathon gt-365 was one of two “possibles” I identified, but I couldn’t find it in stock, and the other is a Continental AT Ride, ditto. Thanks for the ‘wiggle’ tip .

 

Ideally, i’d want to see and feel the tyres before buying, but they are rather niche, so I’m sure local shops won’t have them.

 

PS: found them in stock at SJS. Gone for 47mm wide, which if I run them at the lower end of specified pressure should work on wet grass and mud even if the knobbles aren’t very deep.
 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Nearholmer

[big jim]

Halfords stock the marathon brand, not sure how big they go though

 

 I’ve got variations of them on both my bikes 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

They don’t seem to do the knobbly version though, and since this blue bike is meant to be for bridleways it definitely needs knobbles.

 

I don’t know about in other areas, but most bridleways round here are no more than lines on a map, and sometimes way-marks fixed to posts that have rotted and fallen over in a hedge. Basically, you cycle across fields, attempting to follow any previous tyre or hoof prints.

 

Here the farmer has kindly marked the route by taking a tractor cross-wise over his ploughing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[njee20]

Finally pulling my finger out tomorrow and doing the bike commute! Not done it for about 6 months. Every year I tell myself I'll stick at it through winter, but London roads in the cold, dark and wet just aren't pleasant!

Also getting in on the action and I've ordered a new bike, making the most of the "cycle to work" scheme, a Trek Emonda SL5

 

 

 

Not due until May, it'll be going on a bit of a diet, as it's a relatively portly 21lbs in stock guise. Now begins a couple of months of ruminations on new wheels particularly! Off to the Alps in June, so hopefully it won't be delayed...

 

 

 

 

 

[big jim]

I nearly bought another bike earlier too, another Whyte but a hard tail 809 mountain bike this time, resisted clicking on the auction with a few seconds to go!

 

still watching half a dozen others though, keeping a look out for a cheapish one for the rougher trails and use the R7 for road and commute rides 

 

I’ve got to get the trek I’ve acquired from my stepdad for sale as well (next time ebay has an 80% off fees promotion) 

Edited March 16, 2022 by big jim

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, njee20 said:

I've ordered a new bike

Which made me think about how every persons favoured bike is different.

 

That is one sleek machine.

[njee20]

Hopefully it’ll do the job. It’ll become the new winter/commuter bike, which is gross overkill, but life’s too short! I’ve gone a size smaller than every other Trek road bike I’ve had (5, I think!), so that should be interesting, but the geometry charts make it look very close to my current bike. 
 

It’s amazing how much of a shortage of new bikes and bits there still is. Apparently some orders are arriving sooner as shops cancel ‘land grabbing’ orders placed at the height of the pandemic. Like I say, hopefully it’ll arrive on time!

[Nearholmer]

3 minutes ago, njee20 said:

It’s amazing how much of a shortage of new bikes

Indeed there is.

 

I’m going to sell the mistake-buy tourer soon, just waiting for the weather to be exactly right for people to be dusting-off their map collections and starting to plan tours, the idea being to part-fund the bike I should have bought in the first place.

So, when will that be available? Er, next winter. Hopefully.

 

[big jim]

Must be something in the water tonight, just bought this…

another Whyte bike, this time a 2013 805 hard tail, my thinking is the R7 hybrid is far too nice to use on the trackbed gravel type trails so I’ll try and use that more in my commutes and road ride type tours And this one on the trails, the description says it has had….

 

New headset

New bottom bracket

New cables

New Shimano deore shifters

New Shimano deore front and rear mech’s

New Shimano brake set

 

looking at the spec it’s 12.6kg so almost 10kg lighter than the electric bike and only 2kg heavier than the R7, 30 speed, hydraulic brakes, lockout front suspension 

 

ive just taken the suspension seat post I put on eBay off sale as it will fit this one, now to arrange a trip to Essex to collect it (hopefully Friday afternoon) 
 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by big jim

[Mark Forrest]

All this n+1 activity is making me very envious!

 

@big jim what size wheels are on the 805?  I've got a little used 27.5 (650b) Mavic wheel set sitting in the shed which won't fit anything we own.  I held onto them thinking I might run 650b on my gravel bike, but the frame is through axle and the wheels are quick release, so it's not gonna happen!  Let me know if they're of any use to you.

[big jim]

It has 26 inch rims, thanks for the thought though

 

 

[Kylestrome]

11 hours ago, njee20 said:

Also getting in on the action and I've ordered a new bike, making the most of the "cycle to work" scheme, a Trek Emonda SL5

 

 

Looking at the specs, price and weight of that bike, makes me realise what a good deal my Rose X-Lite Four was a couple of years ago. Carbon frame, forks & seatpost, Ultegra groupset, just over 7kg (with rim brakes, without pedals) and all for 2400 Euros.

 

Do disc brakes weigh so much? How do you plan to trim down the weight?

 

David

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Kylestrome

[BR traction instructor]

A circuit out to the west of Nantwich today…Dig lane, heading for Ravensmoor…

 

BeRTIe

Edited March 17, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[njee20]

6 hours ago, Kylestrome said:

 

 

Looking at the specs, price and weight of that bike, makes me realise what a good deal my Rose X-Lite Four was a couple of years ago. Carbon frame, forks & seatpost, Ultegra groupset, just over 7kg (with rim brakes, without pedals) and all for 2400 Euros.

 

Do disc brakes weigh so much? How do you plan to trim down the weight?

 

David

 

 

Yeah, Rose were superb value. a shame they don’t supply the UK anymore. Never bought a bike from them, but they were my go to for Shimano parts and spokes!

 

Im going to swap the Ultegra Di2 groupset off my current bike, swap the saddle which will almost certainly be inordinately heavy, and then change the wheels, because they’re likely to be boat anchors! Should comfortably lop off a few pounds without breaking the bank. Biggest choice is which wheels to get!
 

Discs don’t necessarily add huge amounts of weight, but they do add cost, so you need to spend more for an equivalent spec. Doesn’t help that the prices are rising so much; this bike is up £300 this year, no change to it at all. 

[Nearholmer]

Broke my own rule today: didn’t start from home, caught the train to Northampton instead, and did a mini tour from there.

 

Things went a bit wrong a couple of miles in. This is my intended route, which seemed to involve fording The Nene at about 30ft deep in full spate. Bad idea. Diversion.

 

 

Back on track (photographed from a place of safety), this is Brampton, start of the Brampton Valley Way, shared for the first few miles with the Pitsford & Brampton Railway, which has superb signalling, but a very bizarre collection of trains.

 

Two decent length tunnels on this trail, and a lot of big muddy puddles, some of them in the tunnels.

 

Passengers Must Use The Footbridge.

 

 

Onward via Market Harborough and the canal to Foxton, which is a sort of Clapham Junction of canals, with a flight of (if I counted correctly*) seven locks.

 

 

Route back by tiny and very quiet roads up about 600ft over the hills that form a watershed for The Welland, The Warwickshire Avon, and one arm of The Nene. Some superb vistas on the southern side. This not very long route is a gem, really fascinating old buildings in little villages.

 

Main highlight for me was this, the monument at the site of The Battle of Naseby. One of those ordinary fields in which the course of history was changed.

 

 

Thats all from the Northamptonshire Tourist Board.

 

I shall sleep well tonight: about 50 miles, with a mix of rough-ish ground outward and climbing against a strong head wind on the way back!

 

PS: The weight of fine mud I accumulated during this ride was probably greater than the mass of Njee’s new wheels and saddle added together. Bike and me covered.

 

* I didn’t count correctly, there are ten. And, Foxton is in Leicestershire, not Northants.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Nearholmer

[big jim]

I’ve just been dropped in it by my boss, he’s asked me to work a bit extra tomorrow after my booked turn, I had to explain I was going to collect “something” of bought on eBay whilst on the hands free in the car with my wife listening

 

“what have you bought” he said 

 

“erm……”

 

Cue rolling eyes and a thousand questions walking round Sainsburys, a trip to the wine isle made things better

 

not told her I’ve got to go to essex to collect it

 

lucjiky I’ve cleared out all those other bikes earlier in the week so the new one can live in the she’d rather than the conservatory 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by big jim