Cycling chat

[tractionman]

March here seems more like January but still, gotta get out there

 

 

 

[Coldgunner]

Definitely not the nicest days here. Went to Rustival at the British Motor Museum yesterday and covered 15000 steps and legs are aching. I get out on the bike between 20-60 minutes every day but think I need to give my body a rest for a day or two.

[Nearholmer]

We had spring on Friday, and especially yesterday; today it is early February again, steady rain, so although I’ve just run a couple of miles errand on the bike, I wasn’t motivated to extend it.

[Mark Forrest]

A weekend of studying weather forecasts suggested our best bet for good cycling weather today was to head towards the top lefthand corner of Wales, so that's what we did, and we weren't disappointed.

We started out in Betws y Coed for a road ride on the gravel bikes. A big loop up to Conwy and back. As the elevation graph shows, it was a ride of two halves with all the elevation in the first 20 miles, followed by a lower level spin alongside Afon Conwy on the way back.

If the weather had been clearer I'm sure the views would have been stunning - we intend to revisit on a less cloudy day. Of interest on the way back was the memorial to the Dolgarrog dam disaster - scary to think of that volume of water and huge boulders thundering down the side of that steep valley almost 100 years ago.

Definitely a ride to repeat on a sunny day. 44 miles and 3500' of climbing.

[Coldgunner]

The 'orrible weather this week has put me right off and kind of gotten myself into a slump for a few days. Managed to get a blast this morning but felt so out of trim and also noticed a new 'click' coming from the bike. Might just need a good oiling but really not feeling it this week.

[Coldgunner]

Looking at another potential restoration job:

 

Kona Smoke, I think these are from around 2010, this has also been sitting in mums garden for a time.

 

 

Took my tools over today, and decided to have a look to see if its a goer worth fixing. My initial thinking is that the following definitely needs sorting.

 

- New tyres and tubes x2 £80 (Schwalbe Marathon Plus has become my go-to)

- New brake/gear cables x4 £20

- New brake pads x2 £10

- un-sieze the seatpost £0 (just needs a hammer and WD-40)

- A good clean £0 (already have muc-off and a load of water)

- Greasing £0 (already have that)

- Chain oil and lube (480 steam oil works wonders it seems, also have chain lube)

- Rear wheel truing at local shop £20ish (or fit new wheels?)

- Rear Derailleur doesn't move when gears changed, hopefully just needs a new cable.

 

£130 I reckon to get this back up to spec.

 

Optional - fat man seat ~£50

 

The tyres are knackered for sure, they took 50psi of air today but doubt they'd last long before disintegrating. It did have mudguards, but they've seen better days so I removed them. Its different to my two repaired mountain bikes in that its a hybrid. I can store it at mums and maybe have it as a loaner.

 

Tyres are like this:

 

Edited March 23 by Coldgunner

[Nearholmer]

That’s actually quite a good frame I think, a bit heavy, but solidly made, and if you stripped it of everything, made sure the head bearings haven’t died, then spent some money on new bits (possibly starting with looking at the BB if it’s been in the rain for ages), you could make a nice flat bar gravel bike, maybe even go as far as fitting drop bars. I’d put something like Deore 1x12, with an 40T chainring, and 40-45mm tyres on it if they’ll fit, and it would be quicker and more fun on anything but real MTB ground than an MTB.

 

The springiness that’s arrived is nice, isn’t it? My bike took me for a good country ramble on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by Nearholmer

[Coldgunner]

On 17/03/2024 at 20:19, Nearholmer said:

That’s actually quite a good frame I think, a bit heavy, but solidly made, and if you stripped it of everything, made sure the head bearings haven’t died, then spent some money on new bits (possibly starting with looking at the BB if it’s been in the rain for ages), you could make a nice flat bar gravel bike, maybe even go as far as fitting drop bars. I’d put something like Deore 1x12, with an 40T chainring, and 40-45mm tyres on it if they’ll fit, and it would be quicker and more fun on anything but real MTB ground than an MTB.

 

I think my plan is going to be to clean it up, replace the tyres, cables and pads and see how it runs really. I think the drive train itself was ok, a good dousing of oil will help.

 

I do need to get a new bike, properly fitted to my size though.

[Mark Forrest]

A Saturday ride for a change - making the most of a break in the weather and unexpected (but very welcome) dog sitter availability.

This was a ride I've wanted to do for a while, a route called Over The Top from the Lost Lanes - Wales book. The name comes from an article written by Walter McGregor Robinson (aka Wayfarer) - a pioneer of off road cycling. It was published in 1919 and (coincidentally) describes a ride that he did in late March of that year. Much of the route follows Wayfarer's route and includes the passing the Wayfarer memorial up on the Berwyns.

Starting out from Chirk, past the castle then following the course of the Glyn Valley Tramway alongside Afon Ceiriog before heading off road after Llanarmon DC for the climb "over the top".

 

A brief pause and refuel at the Wayfarer Memorial before the descent down to Corwen. On the descent a rock hit my rear brake rotor and left me with an annoying dragging brake for the rest of the ride; not ideal.

We stopped at the Llangollen Railway's station in Corwen to attempt to straighten out the bent rotor, with limited success. The next section was all on road, running parallel with the railway (saw a Pannier Tank on its way to Corwen) then climbing up to the Panorama, past the castle ruins and below the amusingly named Trevor Rocks. We then dropped down into Garth and along the Llangollen canal (over the aqueduct and through a tunnel) back to Chirk.

At 44 miles, that was a big day out on MTBs. Arguably gravel bikes would have suited much of it better and given a higher average speed. The section over the Berwyns wouldn't have been anywhere near as much fun though. 4280' of elevation gain. A good ride and a nice tribute to one of the pioneers of off road cycling - not sure what he'd think of our modern hardtails.

Link to Walter's much more eloquently written description of the ride below. The quality of road surfaces hasn't improved much, but at least we had bright sunlight rather than acetylene lamps!

https://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/wayfarer.htm

 

[Mark Forrest]

Inspired by a weekend watch Paris Roubaix on TV, we had a big day out on the bikes yesterday doing the Velotastic "Hell of Notts 3" virtual event. We had two options 100km or 100 miles; we chose the 100km and opted for hardtails rather than gravel bikes - grip and comfort over speed.

A nice steady start along some disused railway from Cotgrave then alongside the Trent through Nottingham city centre. The route then followed a loop with short sections of road linking up a mixture of bridleways and byways. The muddy conditions made it hard going and slowed us down significantly. I'm tempted to give up on this sort of natural XC riding until things dry out and stick to trail centres or road rides - that's how bad it is!

A great route that packed in a couple of challenging climbs despite the relative flatness of the area - the toughest climb came at 45 miles into the ride when we were both starting to tire.

64 miles (103km) and 2900' of elevation, but I think the resistance from the sticky gloopy mud was like the equivalent of another 1000' of climbing, definitely a type 2 fun sort of day. It didn't rain (much) and we even had a bit of sunshine right at the end of the ride.

 

[Nearholmer]

Mud and wind are certainly major factors currently.

 

Fortunately, we’ve got a right old mix of soil-types within easy range round here (thanks to where the ice sheets ended in that last ice-age apparently), so since the actual floods subsided a few weeks back, I’ve been able to choose free-draining ground, the chalk woods on the Chilterns, and the Greensand Ridge. I did go on a couple of trundles on the more clayey bits, but came back with about 2kg of mud stuck to the bike each time, so I’m not going that way again until it dries out more!

 

[Coldgunner]

I've not bothered, here in gusty Peterborough the winds have been strong and cycling against it is like try to ride a longboat upwind with full sails.

 

On the plus side, got some extended leave in May and I think some adventures are gonna happen.

[Coldgunner]

Quick bash out, need to get back in the saddle more as I've been slacking (mainly due to crap weather to be fair). Couple of new pictures of the bike. Some changes since it was last posted, mainly of note is the red metal dust caps. Got a bit annoyed of the plastic ones disintegrating, so swapped them out on both bikes, see how well they last.

 

 

I'm trying to see if I can get a replacement bolt for the pivot between the frame and sub-frame. Pinged off an email to Raleigh to see if they either have a replacement or can tell me if there's a part number for it. Not got high hopes but will see. The issue is that there's a noticable 'wobble' of the subframe when pedalling. The main crank is fine, but I think this joint is just very work. Don't want to take it apart without having a fresh spare to go on.

 

 

I'm trying to not spend too much more on my two bikes as they are both too small, and I need to look at a new off the shelf model in with an XL* frame.

 

*Depending on the measurements of course.

[Mark Forrest]

48 minutes ago, Coldgunner said:

Quick bash out, need to get back in the saddle more as I've been slacking (mainly due to crap weather to be fair). Couple of new pictures of the bike. Some changes since it was last posted, mainly of note is the red metal dust caps. Got a bit annoyed of the plastic ones disintegrating, so swapped them out on both bikes, see how well they last.

 

 

I'm trying to see if I can get a replacement bolt for the pivot between the frame and sub-frame. Pinged off an email to Raleigh to see if they either have a replacement or can tell me if there's a part number for it. Not got high hopes but will see. The issue is that there's a noticable 'wobble' of the subframe when pedalling. The main crank is fine, but I think this joint is just very work. Don't want to take it apart without having a fresh spare to go on.

 

 

I'm trying to not spend too much more on my two bikes as they are both too small, and I need to look at a new off the shelf model in with an XL* frame.

 

*Depending on the measurements of course.

Could be a bearing in that wobbly suspension pivot.  If you can get to it it may well have a part number on the rubber seal and be available from someone like Wych Bearings.

[Coldgunner]

I've been investigating the issue and hopefully I can get a replacement bearing and rubber seals. Raleigh got back to me basically saying they don't do parts anymore, that's to be expected. Had to order a crank tool though as to get to the back of the bearing requires the crank coming off. Hopefully once I get the crank off and undo the bolt, I can hopefully get to the bearings and measure them up.

[Michael Edge]

Today in Jersey

Not one but two almost identical Claud Butlers. My son found the red one on Ebay and restored it - both of these (and this rider!) well over 70 years old. Mid way round a very nice 25 mile ride, St Catherines breakwater in the background.

[Keith Turbutt]

ISTR Claud Butlers were the bees knees when I was a schoolboy. All I had was my uncle's Hercules Pullman with bar brakes. I used it for my Saturday job which involved a 5 mile ride to the shop where I worked.

[jcredfer]

15 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

Today in Jersey

Not one but two almost identical Claud Butlers. My son found the red one on Ebay and restored it - both of these (and this rider!) well over 70 years old. Mid way round a very nice 25 mile ride, St Catherines breakwater in the background.

 

Good to have the weather to wear a nice red Jersey.....    {I'm sorry, just couldn't resist.}

 

Seriously now, it's nice to see St Catherine's breakwater again, after 50 years.  There were rather different circumstances then, we were arriving after a somewhat gusty crossing from Hamble in the RAFSA Slipstream {S&S 34}, to be greeted by 3 balls on the Storm Warning post.  We were well relieved to have got in before that one had arrived. I can vouch that it was bad enough on the tiller for 3 watches that night - on the stops both ways - rather lively to say the least!  Once tidied up, we went for a very welcome breakfast, where we got chatting to a couple of locals.

 

The Storm Warning sign was mentioned, along with the observation that it was good to arrive here, "before that lot took off".  There were smiles around the locals, whilst they informed us that the warning for a 10 had been hoisted over 12 hours earlier.  We had just crossed from Hamble in a 10, with a full set up the mast, little wonder that the tiller was banging the stops!!  Grateful for a good boat, too.   🤔

 

Good picture, thank you.

 

Edited April 21 by jcredfer

[Michael Edge]

The weather looks good but it was cold and windy, I’ve got another layer on under that red jersey.

[Coldgunner]

Todays ride. Rounded the distance up to 17 miles, not all exactly flat either. Decided against doing the peninsula and its a good thing as I was coming along the stretch at the bottom I was really struggling. Had to stop for an emergency half pint and bag of crisps to help me refuel.

 

 

The bike held up well, although the seat post puts it at a weird angle (gotta replace it). Took a wrong turning through ankle deep mud too and had to push it for a bit.

 

 

Even my trick of cycling through puddles failed to rinse the tyres well. Thankfully Rutland Water and the surrounding area's are well stocked for benches.

 

 

I swear the whole route is uphill, and on the downhill bits there always seemed to be a family coming the other way meaning I couldn't really build up too much speed. Also my brakes aren't as sharp as they should be.

[Nearholmer]

That’s a nice circuit, but definitely best done in the week when it’s quieter. Last time I did it, I actually got stuck behind two people going slowly on e-bikes along that easy section beside the road, which was a bit frustrating.

 

Your seat angle looks murderous; is there really no way of adjusting it flat?

Edited April 21 by Nearholmer

[Coldgunner]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Your seat angle looks murderous; is there really no way of adjusting it flat?

 

No, its the extended post fixing it at that angle, I'm going to change it but tbh its actually ok to ride. I think its really a post for a road bike. Used my secondary today as Frank the Frankenbike needs work.

[Coldgunner]

 

Yes, just uploaded it :D:D:D:D

 

[tractionman]

knee trouble is still cramping my riding but today was a pleasant sunny twelve miles mainly off road 

 

 

 

Belfast Lough was looking good 👍 and the tracks drying out a bit 😁 

[PatB]

Bit late to this topic. I do hope I'm not going to be too severely flamed for cheating, but, of late, I've become old and creaky enough to appreciate the joys of the ebike. Here's my first effort at a home conversion, on an old, steel framed Trek MTB with a legal 250W Bafang motor.

 

This was my daily commuter (30 km round trip on unsealed tracks) for a year, until its deficiencies annoyed me too much to continue with it. As is fairly obvious from the seat adjustment the frame is really too small for me, so it was never a truly comfortable fit. Also, the cheapo Ebay aftermarket wheels weren't up to a strong, heavy rider standing on the pedals, along with the extra push of the motor, so the rear wheel kept pinging spokes.

 

As a result of this, and a change in commuting needs, disillusionment set in and it spent a couple of years standing, while I worked out what to do with it. Then serendipity took a hand, and I found an old Giant Option X hybrid on the verge, waiting for the latest bulk rubbish collection. Big steel frame, 700C wheels, OK cantilever brakes, cruddy levers and gear components (but that's OK as I have better ones).

 

So, I've been doing a bit of selective assembly with parts from the Trek, the Giant, and assorted bits I've accumulated over the past decade or so. I was able to build a cross-4 laced rear wheel from a double-wall rims and reasonable hub from my last hybrid, using the slightly longer spokes from the kerbside bike. Front wheel and not-terrible derailleur from the same previous hybrid. Saddle and butterfly bars from the Trek.

 

It's currently at a stage where it would ride as a pushbike. I just need to finalise the wiring and mount the battery to finish the ebike conversion. Then it'll be time for some shakedown rides to find out if my wheelbuilding has been good enough. Just in time for some cooler, but still dry weather. Perfect.