The Cycling / Bicycles Thread

[recipher]

The equivalent to the RA for cyclists is the CTC (the Cyclist's Touring Club).

Or check out the Lewisham Cyclists. Isn't Google great ?

[charlesr]

melenko: if you are talking about reflectors on wheels, ditch the original ones. They create an imbalance on the wheel. If you must have something, you can get a reflective string that snakes through the spokes, but it goes all the way around so you can't feel it at speed. If it's on the pedals, then most cheap platform pedals have reflectors, but clipless pedals don't have room, so get shoes with strips on the back.

Bubbles: welcome to the forum

[Tirian]

I am interested to find out if there are any cycle clubs like the Ramblers association but on bikes?

Thanks

Well, this is not exactly a cycle club, but if you're in London and like cycling you have to give Critical Mass a go, at least once .. just for the experience of it. 6.30pm, under Waterloo Bridge, last friday of each month - i.e. this Friday.

http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/

Take a spin round London with a few hundred other cyclists. I quite enjoy it, but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Also, make sure you get the TFL's bike maps for the Lewisham area - you can get them sent to you for free from the TFL website, look in the cycle section. My gf lived in Lewisham till recently and we took many a cycle ride round the area just by picking a cycle route from the map that looked like it went somewhere interesting.

[gunrock]

First of all: hi, I am new to these forums and am interested to get to know the forum better.

Okey, I live in Lewisham in south east London and cycle quite a lot. Yesterday I was going to go to Sevenoaks but the wind went against me. I have an ex racer bike which I picked up at boot sale for less than twenty pounds with two brand new wheels and all the bike needed was a few screws tightened, a clean and a safety check. Tyres are fine.

I decided to go on a circular ride through Mottingham, past Elmstead Woods, up the hill and then through Sundridge Park and joint up with Burnt Ash road and cycled through Grove park to the main road at bottom. Interesting cycle ride. For me, cycling is as much an excercise routine as it is jolly good fun. The best feeling is when you come back home and feel a glowing warmth inside of you. Also the scenery and the smells of the woodland.

Thanks

Hello and welcome. That's my neck of the Woods (well, Sidcup actually) and I occasionally ride through Chislehurst and along into Petts Wood, down into Orpington and (if I have time and energy) I continue through St Marys Cray and into Crockenhill, up to Swanley and back home again.

I ride what I believe is called an urban mountain bike (though I guess you serious cyclists would call it a pile of ****), with disc brakes and Shimano Nexus 8 hub gears. Obviously, that makes it really hard to get up some hills, but as I'm the wrong side of 19 stone, I need the exercise!

So, as you can tell I'm no serious cyclist, but I do enjoy the CV workout and I like it when I see other cyclists (roadies) and you nod they smile and nod back. Seems like a good community. Or maybe they're laughing at my purple puffing face as I wheeze slowly by in the other direction!

[melenko]

melenko: if you are talking about reflectors on wheels, ditch the original ones. They create an imbalance on the wheel. If you must have something, you can get a reflective string that snakes through the spokes, but it goes all the way around so you can't feel it at speed. If it's on the pedals, then most cheap platform pedals have reflectors, but clipless pedals don't have room, so get shoes with strips on the back.

heh I ditched the wheel reflectors straight away. This was going to be an attempt at clipless and road legal at night at the same time. I did find some with a set of reflectors stuck into the underside which i could ignore until it got dark

[recipher]

If you are trying to go with clipless and road legal, you're probably the only person in the country.

[TheForce]

We don't have problems like that where I live, atleast the police only cares if you have some form of light at the front and the back off the bike.
I almost never use my MTB in the dark, but when I do, I use strap around my arm with a light on it.

[charlesr]

Yeah, as a driver, I find reflectors are useless anyway. If you haven't got a decent bright read light, you are roadkill. It needs to a be a bit multiangle too, Cos LEDs are quite directional. So a bit of wraparound is good. If you need the exercise get a dynamo too

[melenko]

right.... seeing as I at least bother with lights and there's so many tools around here that just don't I might as well order them ^^

Thats order pedals, not some tools that get in my way.

[Tirian]

Well, the end of my first week of my new long commute - no more 15 minute ride into work any more, now it is 45mins on a good run. Still, approximately 80% of the journey I don't have to be on the road, which is pretty damn good for a commute into central London!

In addition to not being flattened by lorries, buses, taxis and the like - and not being constantly stuck at traffic lights - the ride is actually very pleasant, mostly along the side of the canal.

However I feel that I may avoid the towpath when the real cold starts, as I don't fancy the idea of cycling along a narrow lane with a swim on one side with frost and ice on the ground. I'll end up like the guy who was cycling in front of me this morning, who pitched himself into the canal.

That said, although I did stop to pick up his bike and help him out, his dip was entirely his own fault, for being an idiot - didn't want to slow down to pass the pedestrians who were in front so he tried to nip by on the narrow grass/mud bit between the path and the canal. Not quite sure what tipped him, think it may just have been a bump in the grass or something, but he slid over and went into the canal on his back.

Not pleasant.

[Commander Marklar]

I love riding around in the dark! I've had all kinds of comments but it's great! The roads around Wokingham are pitch black mostly, no lighting across fields and it's an unbelievable sight. Got some great LED lights, really strong they are and the batteries last ages. Only problem I have is the wild life

[gunrock]

Hehe,

I went out for an hour's ride (about 9 or so miles) last Sunday, got back and I had lost 6lbs! Mostly water, but the good news is it's mostly stayed off!

[Pij]

digging up this old thread, im thinking of riding to work a few days a week, as atm i get up and drive to the gym and use do cardio only on some days, then drive to work.

Thought i might mix it up with some bike riding. i looked at some site and found out theres road bikes, mountain bikes, hybrid etc etc.

The journey is mostly uphill and some cross country (about 50% can be gravel rather than roads)

Any ideas on good places to buy online and what type of thing to go for?

[charlesr]

Buy one from a shop cos then you can sit on it / try it out in advance. You need to get something that feels right and get some advice from someone in the shop (if it's a decent shop - even halfords train up their staff properly these days - don't get a weekend staff monkey though). Or try one in a shop and then order online. If you buy from a shop, you should make sure you get a 3 month service for free cos all your new cables and stuff will stretch and they can tune it up.

[smouty]

What is your budget?
Consider spending at least ?300-?400 to get some decent components. It really is a false economy below this point.
A hardtail mountain bike or rigid hybrid should suit you.
A hybrid is a mountain bike type frame/bars with road style equipment so 27" wheels rather than 26" and ligher duty gears brakes etc which are more than enough for commuting and occasional off road use.
If going for a mountain bike you would probably need some less knobbly tyres such as Continental double fighters which roll well but still have shoulder knobbleys for off road grip.