Cycling chat

[big jim]

I was lucky with the roodog electric bike when Dominic bent the forks, I rang them for a bit of advice as to what forks I could get and they had a set of ‘new’ old stock forks in the warehouse already at the correct length at a bargain price (£35 I seem to remember) so it was just a simple swap with no cutting

 

the actual change was really easy, took me about 15 mins iirc 

[Mark Forrest]

I use one of these when cutting the steerer tube to length.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/lifeline-saw-guide

 

While you still need to ensure you measure twice, cut once it does at least mean that the cut is reasonably clean and square.

 

Even with this though, cutting the steerer and pressing in headset bearing cups remain my least favourite bits of any bike build I do!

 

A star nut setter is also a great help (although not essential); but for a one off, by the time you've bought a saw guide and nut setter you might as well ask your local bike shop to do the job.  That said, anyone close to Staffordshire who needs them is welcome to borrow mine.

[Nearholmer]

The other option is a tube cutter. This is the sort of thing, although you can get better quality ones. I’ve got a couple of different sized ones that I’ve had since the twelfth century when I did my engineering training.

 

 https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-3-28mm-manual-multi-material-pipe-cutter/173PR?tc=IC5&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsOGo1cGOgwMVN0RBAh2IQweMEAQYAiABEgLcSvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

(probably not on carbon though)

[Coldgunner]

My order got cancelled due to a stock error. Slightly annoying but it is what it is. Can't seem to find the same fork for a good price elsewhere. Open to any suggestings in the sub £150 range for a set of MTB forks. Must be able to cope with the weight of a fatty, take a wheel with a traditional axle and a disc brake fitting.

 

My search will continue for now.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Coldgunner

[tractionman]

anyone been out and about on their bikes for a festive ride?

 

I managed a short spin yesterday along the coastal path (Belfast Lough) with a brisk backwind:

 

 

the weather was much better out today but the planned bike ride with my son was thwarted by his new Vitus being too big for the Passat roofbars, so pending some readjustment we did a walk instead in the Belfast Hills, and recced it for a future ride:

 

 

[Mark Forrest]

1 hour ago, tractionman said:

anyone been out and about on their bikes for a festive ride?

We (that's Mrs F and me) popped out for a couple of hours on Christmas Day, nothing too exciting just a loop around Cannock Chase.

 

Might do a ride on Zwift tomorrow but otherwise my end of year stats are looking like this:

 

Mildly disappointed to have missed my target to ride 2500 miles, but it's been one thing after another this year.

[Coldgunner]

Just a quick jaunt to the shops for some essentials really. The wind was gusting too hard today, it was like cycling against a brick wall. Will see what tomorrow brings.

[tractionman]

for me this has been the best holiday viewing

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

I’ve been too busy, and too set about by wind and rain, to go anywhere by bike except to the shops over the past couple of weeks, not helped by the fact that my OH has had a visit from The Ghost of Covid Present, and is only just now beginning to feel a bit better - she was feeling so poorly that she missed Christmas Day and our son’s birthday on Boxing Day completely.

[big jim]

3 hours ago, Mark Forrest said:

We (that's Mrs F and me) popped out for a couple of hours on Christmas Day, nothing too exciting just a loop around Cannock Chase.

 

Might do a ride on Zwift tomorrow but otherwise my end of year stats are looking like this:

 

Mildly disappointed to have missed my target to ride 2500 miles, but it's been one thing after another this year.

 

my end of year stats are shocking, just over 300 miles the whole year, compared to 2500 last year! 
 

got to get back into it and get the weight back off again

[njee20]

Yep, fewest for me in 25 years (when I was 12!), 1,205 miles. Definitely the least fit and the heaviest I’ve ever been, too. Ought do something about it really. Maybe one last ride this year!

[kernowtim]

I had plans for a long Christmas day ride as I was away from home visiting family and staying with a friend,  however my children gave me a cold for Christmas and I was wasn't feeling well on Christmas eve and it didn't improve,  Managed to get out ,started raining almost immediately so I only managed about 5 miles, my strava app didn't restart recording after I stopped and checked the time on my phone! Haven't cycled anywhere else yet!

Just over 2750 miles logged on strava thos year, can't remember what last years total was now !

[Nearholmer]

Well, I’ll say one thing: you did a section of one of my usual rides for me!

 

Sitting where I am right now. I can actually see the radio mast where you turned to come along through the golf course. That track BTW, used to have a railway along it during WW1, when the Canadian Forestry Corps 125th logged-out the area. You may (cold permitting) have noticed a steep slope down one side into Back Wood from that track: they had an incline to bring log wagons up that.

 

Anyway, hope the cold gets better soon. If you are still up this way, let me know and I’ll suggest some other routes - I’d suggest joining up for a ride, but I’m still very much needed at home at the moment.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Nearholmer

[Butler Henderson]

I'm classing this year as a disaster. May 20 saw a 54 mile in a false expectation as it turned out of longer ones to come. At that time 407 miles and 18,537 ft climbed had been accumulated on the road bike. The next day my hybrid had its annual outing of 42 miles and 1537ft climbed.

 

Then the weather went weird with far too many dry sunny but incredibly windy days leading to the road bike only accumulating 693 miles for the year with 39,490ft climbed showing that beyond May its outings were short lumpy ones.

 

The ebike on its short vertical U shaped commutes and shopping trips, equally hilly in part, totalled 909 miles and 64,940ft elevation .

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Butler Henderson

[Nickey Line]

 I have no intention of claiming bragging rights by posting my stats for the year, but...

I did receive a cycling-related kit as a Christmas present! 

 

 

Kept me amused on one of the frequent wet and windy days we've been having. 😊

[Coldgunner]

Haven't been out for a couple of days due to the weather, just not worth getting soaked and ending up with a cold. If tomorrow stays dry at least I'll go out for 20 mins or so. Many places have said online that doing 20 minutes a day is better than doing a single long ride at the weekend.

[Mark Forrest]

20 hours ago, Coldgunner said:

Many places have said online that doing 20 minutes a day is better than doing a single long ride at the weekend.

I'm no expert, but that does align with my experience.  I've found that by doing one (longish) ride each week my fitness decreases (and weight increases).  Two shorter rides are enough to maintain a level of fitness/weight.  Three times a week is the sweet spot where I begin to see improvements.  My goal for 2024 is to get back into a rhythm of riding three times a week and worry less about distance.

[08221]

I've found that 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week makes me feel better both physically, but more importantly - mentally.

 

[Nearholmer]

Best wishes for the new year, and happy cycling!

 

[kernowtim]

On 29/12/2023 at 13:43, Nearholmer said:

Well, I’ll say one thing: you did a section of one of my usual rides for me!

 

Sitting where I am right now. I can actually see the radio mast where you turned to come along through the golf course. That track BTW, used to have a railway along it during WW1, when the Canadian Forestry Corps 125th logged-out the area. You may (cold permitting) have noticed a steep slope down one side into Back Wood from that track: they had an incline to bring log wagons up that.

 

Anyway, hope the cold gets better soon. If you are still up this way, let me know and I’ll suggest some other routes - I’d suggest joining up for a ride, but I’m still very much needed at home at the moment.

 

 

I didn't realise there was a logging lune there, my mum was bought up in Bow Brickhill and remembers it being used for ammunition and bomb storage during WW2, There were 2 shops and a pub on the road she lived in, long closed now! And only 3 cars, one belonging to the doctor!

Back in Cornwall now, managed 15 miles on new years eve bringing my weekly strava total to 16.8 miles , probably the lowest for the year!

Discovered the front hydraulic brake on the trek mtb I took with me no longer works,  presumably needs bleeding, Didn't like being left on its side in the back of the car for a few days? 

 

[kernowtim]

Managed a quick ride before lunch around a local former mining district , still raining with temperature at 8°C 46°F but at least the winds have died down!
Trek MTB has brake issues so used the Apollo which has marginally better brakes in the wet than my poorly Trek!
Happy New year one and all 🇬🇧

[Coldgunner]

Hope this is ok to post here, but decided to launch a separate cycling channel on Youtube, mixing it up with the railway stuff was a bit weird and hopefully this'll attract a different audience.

 

 

[Coldgunner]

Had another late night ride but I have a problem, my gopro light is fickle!

 

 

This is pretty much all I get out of my helmet cam. My standard cheapo lights are ok for night riding as I can see quite well and more importantly, be seen! However video at night is woeful. I think I need to invest in a much more powerful light to attach to my helmet, but on a strict budget. I really like riding these back trails and dirt paths so I really need something that will act like a portable sun (and be switched off/removed when riding on roads of course).

 

Problem I have, everything that shows up on google is £100 or more, and I'm on a strict budget, maybe <£50. Does anyone have any recommendations?

[Nearholmer]

Keep looking in sales.

 

I wanted a very powerful lamp for the few times I go for benign off-road rides in the dark, and got a just-superseded Lezyne one in an “end of range” sale for about a half it’s original

price. The only difference from the new model is battery capacity being about 20% less within the same package size, but since it lasts well over an hour on “floodlight a football match” setting, and practically forever on reasonable road-riding setting, that isn’t much worry.

 

 

 

Edited January 30 by Nearholmer

[tractionman]

7 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Keep looking in sales.

 

I wanted a very powerful lamp for the few times I go for benign off-road rides in the dark, and got a just-superseded Lezyne one in an “end of range” sale for about a half it’s original

price. The only difference from the new model is battery capacity being about 20% less within the same package size, but since it lasts well over an hour on “floodlight a football match” setting, and practically forever on reasonable road-riding setting, that isn’t much worry.

 

 

 

 

something like this?

 

https://www.sportsdirect.com/lezyne-lite-drive-1000xl-front-light---1000-lumen-933452#colcode=93345203