Road cycling

[Herr-Berbunch]

Any of you subsim guys ride a road bike, which used to be called a racer 20-odd years ago. I'm in the market for a new one and am confused by the wild array of options, basically I'm now down to either a Specialized Allez Double 18 (2011 model), or a Giant Defy 5 (2012). Both seem to be the basic for those brands, but better equiped than anything else for the price (£550).

Any advice from those with knowledge, as opposed to Google, would be gratefully appreciated. More difficult finding this stuff out compared to PC parts - is there a bike equivalent of TomsHardware?

Thanks, in advance,


H-B

[Tribesman]

I live in town for the moment, one requirement is mudguards.
Thats as far as it goes for choosing a bike.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Sorted already, Crud now do decent set for road bikes. :D

[Jimbuna]

Don't get one with only 6 gears.....the last one I had got pinched whilst in my view whilst I was living in Holland and my mate gave chase but his 6 geared bike was no match for the 18 my bike had :DL

[Sailor Steve]

Mine only has seven and could be faster but I get by. Today I actually did the deed and rode 8-1/2 miles to band practice. Made it okay, and luckily got a ride home.

But this isn't helping poor HB make a decision. :oops:

[Hottentot]

It's not the bike, it's the man. :O:

Well, at least that's what I used to say years ago when I cycled all the time. Never raced, but could have if I wanted to.
Can't say what the hottest trend on the market is these days, but I'd recommend taking it easy. If you are not going to take part in races, then look for durability first. Take the bike that will get you from there to there, even if it means that it will go a little slower. Walking with a broken ride is still slowers than riding any bike.

I'd pay attention in the size of the frame, so that it's big enough for you. Then also how easy the bike to maintain, because you are going to do that often. Trust me, the 1,000 screws and bolts wonder might be the dream of a fine tuner who never actually rides, but a nightmare for anybody else.

If you have a chance, test each candidate. Take the one that feels good to you. Since you are going to spend a lot time together, you'd better like each other.

[Dan D]

I see you want to buy a new bike but here is a different idea you might want to consider.
Take the frame of your old bike or buy an old racer frame or take a frame someone else has thrown as trash into the roadside ditch, and add new bike components and such create your own bike.
That is what I have done recently and I am a happy man now. I had this 25-30 years old bike relict from my wife's dad which I had found in his garage after his death, the Kettler „Daxi“ Alurad, a not-cool senior citizen bike but with a very light aluminium frame. Kettler were among the first to build aluminium frames and I thought that it would be a shame to not use the bike. So I removed all bike parts and took the frame and built a single speed bike which means it has just one gear: „fast“. I have added stylish Vuelta USA rims, Schwalbe „Kojak“ (bald) racing slick tyres (very cool), the Shimano biopace chainring and saddle from my sisters old racer, new brakes, a single speed conversion kit, a new single speed chain, a new handlebar and now I have a very mean machine. The front chain ring has 52 teeth and the rear cog has 18 teeth, I will probably try out 16 teeth or even lower. I still can't believe how fast that thing is as a single speeder and I am grinning all the time when riding my new bike. It is too fast for the city. I am using it for long speed rides on the county side, my new sport. We don't have mountains here.

I have read a lot in bicycle freaks internet forums. There you can learn a lot.

Bike components are cheaper if you buy them from onlineshops or you go to a bike shop and you tell the folks there that you have seen that component cheaper on the internet and they will lower the price.

I have spent about 200 € on bike parts and had finished my project after about 2 weeks. My guess is that is probably cheaper to buy a ready- made bike than to build one. But to build one is more fun with reading around and carefully making a decision which one to buy with every bike part. You can upgrade anytime and buy the even better bike component, e.g. buy rims for 3.000 €. There are no limits.

[nikimcbee]

Mountain bike here.

[Sailor Steve]

@ Dan D: How hard is it to get going from a standing start, or to climb hills? I'm not sure I could even get something like that to move. Mine is geared a little low overall, but even then I can't currently keep up the pace for long in high gear. Maybe after a few months riding I'll get better.

[Dan D]

I'd say, it feels like 5th gear+ in the beginning, Steve. No hills here that I would call painful for the legs.

@undergeared
"A little too low", I know that feeling. My other bike which I use for a weeklong bicycle trips has 7 gears and it feels just right in 6-7th gear with luggage at average 21 km/h, but without luggage, some gears seem to be missing. At 25+ km/h you start feeling like a hamster because of the high pedal frequency. That is where my idea for a second bike for 25+ km/h speed originated. Other option would have been to buy a new bike with more gears.

@fitness
Steve, sure you could. If you are feeling unfit right now, and I am certain, that you are just being polite again by putting your light under a bushel, keep in mind, that like it is with all sports, with a bit of regular sport you feel an improved fitness almost immediately after only a short period of time. You could do some long rides, 4-5 hours, at least long enough so that you get that calm and relaxed feeling.

[Skybird]

No bike for me anymore without a good trailer and ergonomic (quick to handle) tow-coupling (like Weber). Got myself a flatbed, with a separate, big, weather-proof, solid-walled chest. Doubled the everyday-usability-value of my bike. 2x2 beer crates of up to 80 kg (no fun to cycle, though...:DL), bars of 1,70 m in length, and even smaller furniture like chairs and a small table have been successfully fixed on it , and transported.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Thanks for the suggestion, Dan D, but I'd like a new bike - and I'm edging toward the Giant. It'd be through a cycle to work scheme, and for goods costing just under £600 I'd pay a net price of ~£368 (if my calculations so far are correct, and as long as HM Revenue & Customs don't change their part of the bargain like they did recently!). There is also the fuel and vehicle wear and tear to take into account, but that may be counter-acted by bike-related costs.

My old bike, an 8-year-old hybrid I'd keep for ferrying my little girl around on.

Now, if Sky could cycle alongside with his bar, that'd be a great commute! :yeah:

[Dan D]

A new bike then. Giant has a good reputation to defend and a really good bike you won't get for under 600 Euros here. Seems to be the same at your place but in BPS, 600-the magic number.

Have fun!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Thanks MaddogK, the only difference I can see is the Giant uses an SRAM cassette, I can't find much on t'interweb on these two competing other than top-end stuff - which this ain't! Oh, and the 1991 court case. But the Specialized is £50 cheaper, and I've just found out that from next Jan HMRC want VAT adding also, it'll only add a few quid to the monthly cost but...

[Herr-Berbunch]

Right, finally got my act together and decided against the Giant and the Specialized, plumping instead for Ribble's Sportive 7005 (http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuilder.asp?action=GenerateConstructor&part=BB12RIBSPORTIVE7005&sub=conf_BBRA&bike=1) with SRAM Rival groupset, ITM wheels, Deda bars and stem and a few other little bits and bobs. Total cost nearly £900 but because that'll be coming out of my gross pay it'll actually cost me nearer £700 (blasted admin fees otherwise it'd be nearer 600!) - still much more than I originally bargained for but a much better bike as a whole. :yeah:

Just got to hurry up and wait now, and stand-by for what will now turn out to be the wettest summer on record. :-?

[Sailor Steve]

Nearly two thousand dollars for a bicycle? We have different priorities. I can't afford to pay that much for a motorcycle! As long as mine gets me from A to B and provides a little fun I'm happy. :D

[Herr-Berbunch]

Trust me, if it wasn't through a scheme (http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/) to get it cheaper and spread over a year with no interest I would've stuck with my old bike (9 years - little maintenance other than new tubes and chain lube) - which I''m still keeping for the family rides.

And I (or rather XE.com) worked it out to be nearer $1500 ($1200 after all said and done!). :O:

I've just got to tell the wife now. Wish me luck. :yep:

[Jimbuna]

HB looking cool on his bike :DL

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6601/men981.gif (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/10/men981.gif/)

[Herr-Berbunch]

HB looking cool on his bike :DL

I learned everything from my Geordie Uncle Jim. :O: Three wheels helps stability after some ale.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Finally the scheme's certificate is winging it's way to me, then I'll forward it to the bike shop and they'll build it and ship it out to me. Hopefully I'll get it in two weeks :D

This scheme has been one farce after another, but now the light is at the end of the tunnel :sunny:

[MaddogK]

Right, finally got my act together and decided against the Giant and the Specialized, plumping instead for Ribble's Sportive 7005 (http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bikebuilder.asp?action=GenerateConstructor&part=BB12RIBSPORTIVE7005&sub=conf_BBRA&bike=1) with SRAM Rival groupset, ITM wheels, Deda bars and stem and a few other little bits and bobs. Total cost nearly £900 but because that'll be coming out of my gross pay it'll actually cost me nearer £700 (blasted admin fees otherwise it'd be nearer 600!) - still much more than I originally bargained for but a much better bike as a whole. :yeah:

Just got to hurry up and wait now, and stand-by for what will now turn out to be the wettest summer on record. :-?


OOohhhhh, very nice.
Congrads.

I tried to write off my Paramount years ago as a business expense (transportation expense), the IRS didn't buy it and I came close to getting audited.
:cool:

[Jimbuna]

For £700 I'd have expected a new model :hmmm:

[Herr-Berbunch]

Finally, the day has come. It would've arrived yesterday, but no-one was in so the postie took it away again. This morning I left a note asking to leave with the neighbour, when I arrived home at 10 am the postie was walking off, as was my neighbour with his dog and he'd get it out of his garage for me when he returned - usually about 30 mins later.

An hour and a half later he returns and gives me a hand carrying the box round - not that it's heavy!!!

So, the question now was can I get it roadworthy in 20 mins to enable me to ride to work on it today?

No! I unboxed it, fitted the handlebars, seatpost, seat, pedals, and chain but ran out of time to inflate the tyres (or remove the gearshift tags). :cry:

Now I don't want to ride it, I just want to hang it on the wall but I doubt the wife'd go for that. Anyway, without much further ado, here it is -

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7189/ribblebuilt.jpg

I were right about that saddle though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnJk6bkjgko :-?

[Jimbuna]

Nice one but I'll stick with the car thanks :sunny:

[Sailor Steve]

It's lovely, but set up with a riding position that my poor old bones could never take. I'll stick with my 'comfort bike'. :sunny:

[Herr-Berbunch]

That's not the final position, I still need to adjust the bars and seat. Admittedly it's not a million miles off.

[Betonov]

Nice bike. I hope it holds its own :up:

Not for my parts though, Hills as big as mountains and potholes as big as meteor craters. You need a mountain bike for road cycling

[Herr-Berbunch]

The roads here are far from perfect. The best (pothole-free) roads I've ever travelled on have to be Italy's, the worst Kosovo -one pothole towards Pristina had a fridge in it!

[Betonov]

the worst Kosovo -one pothole towards Pristina had a fridge in it!

Got to love the Balkans :DL

[Herr-Berbunch]

Got to love the Balkans :DL

I did. If it wasn't for the shooting, the mines (actually our own cluster-munitions :damn: although I'm sure there were some others), and the standoffishness with the Russians over the airfield (damn you Americans delaying our race!), it would've been even better. :sunny:

I'm glad I wasn't there in summer though, give me the winter there anytime.

[Egan]

My dad would love this thread. A few weeks ago he and his friend (both 62) cycled from Land's End (the most southerly point of England) to John o Groats (the most northerly part of Scotland,) - a distance of just about 1000 miles. He's mental for cycling. He's like a kid when the Tour is on TV..:D They're thinking about either doing the length of Ireland next year, or the French Atlantic coast to the Med.

Don't know what sort of bike he used - he has several now - but as he himself admits, it's all kit, and which of us isn't mad for kit, whatever our hobby is? It's a guy thing.

[Falkirion]

Great looking bike Herr B. Although you should see the collection my family has. My little brother (21 years old) races in the local combines down here in Victoria. Alone he's probably spent about $7k AUD on bikes. Imported a BMC from Italy, has a track bike, and has so far built 2 bikes (one time trial, one kit bike from China which he races on)

And our house is pretty much zombie central when July rolls around every year. My dad, brother and I stay up to watch the Tour de France. And the two of them have been watching the lead up events live too. Our home is a bit cycling crazy.

[Dan D]

Post pictures of your bikes, please.

[Falkirion]

Okay 3 of my brothers 4 bikes. No shots of his track bike unfortunately.
Brother's China import. Built himself
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n60/Falkirion/539899_10151703667550002_1282022903_n.jpg
Brother's Time Trialer, built himself.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n60/Falkirion/399456_10151153679965002_1403072875_n.jpg
And his BMC import.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n60/Falkirion/72528_158883697478191_3106884_n.jpg