Calling all Cyclists.

[maltloaf]

Hi all,

Even tho I don't look like it i'm a keen cyclist. For years and years I commuted about 14 miles a day to work and back on a pedal cycle. I've got 2 fairly good bikes, A Simoncini branded (italian) racing bike (£700) with campagnolo groupset for road use and a cheapish GT Timberline ATB (£300) for general use but never alot of real off road.

When I left my job and moved away my cycling tailed off sadly and I havent done much other than the odd ride for 2 years.

2 Weeks ago I decided to change all that and got the bikes out of storage, fixed them up as necessary and got back out on them again.

I'm now doing about an hour a day of road work (it's naturally hilly around here so is a great workout) and also commuting to the gf's on my atb. This all probably totals about 20 - 25 miles per day which i'm really pleased about and feel great for. I can already feel my previous standard coming back and think I can exceed it.

I thought i'd post here and see if there are any other keen cyclists and what gear you have.

My essentials....

Clipless pedals (+spd shoes) ATB style with SPD cleats in so I can walk in them normally. Not into traditional cycling shoes.
Spare tube + pump + tyre lever especially when they start hedge trimming.
Long shirt - no one wants to see a fat mans hairy crack !
Padded shorts - Forgot how much difference they made after 30 mins in the saddle - these were my second purchase since getting back into it.
Lights - of course
GPS unit (etrex summit) + bikemount (2) much better than a cycle computer as it records everything inc ascent/descent, distance and speed.

For me there is nothing like getting to the top of a climb feeling like your lungs are ready to burst out of your chest but still going strong. A feeling of real achievement.

so guys, who else cycles and what sort of time /distance do you put in ?

cheers,

malty

[BertRoot]

I do about ten miles a day to and from work. I do other bits but don't get a lot of time to get out cos of my little un who is too small to ride a bike yet.

As far as kit goes I have the one bike which is a 1999 GT Zaskar LE. It is a beauty and I do like it a lot. My Mrs also has an LE that I rode into the back of a Suzuki Vitara and kinked the top and down tubes on but it still rides fine but the ride seemed to different to me but she loves it.

Favourite parts on it are my Pace RC36 forks with a 90mm travel kit, Profile carbon bars, Race face cranks and me old Bontrager titanium saddle. Essential kit for me are

Race Face Aquaknot jacket which keeps the wind and rain out
Vistalite lights that set me back about 130 quid but have been going well for 6 years and provide me with 25 watts of light
Crud Catcher and Race Guard to keep the shit off in crap weather
Cateye wireless speedo cos I kept snapping cables with the fork travel
Panaracer Fire XC kevlar tyres. Light as feck and you can lean almost flat and still stick to the road.

I also don't run a front mech cos I don't see a lot of hills in St Annes and as a result of doing mainly road work I run a single 46 tooth Race Face downhill chainring on the front and a 32-11 8 speed group on the back. This saves me having a shifter for the front mech and gives me somewhere to put my speedo. I use one XTR shifter and it works fucking great.

Keeps me fit and has cost me loads of dosh over the years.

[maltloaf]

Favourite parts on it are my Pace RC36 forks with a 90mm travel kit, Profile carbon bars, Race face cranks and me old Bontrager titanium saddle.

I dont get on with suspension forks, I always think i'm wasting energy with them bobbing away with every pedal stroke. I have some cheapo rock shoxx on my GT but I wish i could either lock them out or replace them with rigids. Don't see the point of suspension forks for general/road use.

I also don't run a front mech cos I don't see a lot of hills in St Annes and as a result of doing mainly road work I run a single 46 tooth Race Face downhill chainring on the front and a 32-11 8 speed group on the back. This saves me having a shifter for the front mech and gives me somewhere to put my speedo. I use one XTR shifter and it works fucking great.

My road bike has 2 chainrings and 8 speeds, almost set up like a middle distance time trial bike as per the ratios. Have come close to running out of gears on longer/steeper ascents but havent stopped yet ! Gears are changed by levers on the hoods of the brake levers and are fantastic to use, very responsive.

The GT has the stock Shimano 24 speed Deore groupset on it, which while nothing special, has never failed me.

[BertRoot]

What sort of speeds you getting Malty? I can pull about 30 mph on the bypass on the way to work with the wind off the sea helping me and have hit 48 on the hills in the lakes.

As far as forks go the Pace ones I have don't soak up much when peddling and even though I used to be a die hard no sus man I now couldn't live without them. They did cost me a fair bit when I got them though. There are a few forks that you can lock out now with a lever that fits on your handlebars and there are even some that you can lock out but when you have a hard landing they spring into action.

[maltloaf]

I average just over 20mph over a fairly hilly route (10 miles) It was one of my main aims years ago to do this particular route in under half an hour, i remember the day I first managed it and was elated. I tried the exact same route the other day and can still do it. Doesnt sound alot but there are 5 or 6 decent-ish climbs along the way which really take it out of you.

As most of my routes are circular, I never really get much wind assistance. It tends to even itself out by the time I get back. Its really morally draining when you feel like you are going nowhere tho.

Never really done a long distance on the flat, was supposed to do a 25 mile time trial years ago, along the A40 in south wales but it got cancelled and I couldnt make the re-arranged date.

[whatnow]

this is my beast,



I had a mission finding a decent bike for a low cost but I ended up having a very generous present for xmas instead

Can't say it's loaded with features though, it's got a bell which is quimish and needs removing as i'd rather shout. I still nead to get some crud catchers and I wanna remove all the stupid quick release crap as I dont see the point in giving a thief a easy wheel.

I don't use it enough becuase I really dont mind walking, but I think once the weather is stable and I get less lazy it'll easily be my preferred transport.

I really need a good lock for it though, any recommendations?

[BertRoot]

I have used Specialized Hardlock Rapper ones for a while and they are great.

[BM]

I try and do some cycling in the summer months and if i lived a bit closer to work I would probably cycle to work too but unfortunately its too far.

In the summer I go for rides which are normally between 10-20miles following the Crab and Winkle route (an old trainline that has been converted into a cycle route round my area). The bike i ride actually belongs to my dad and is a very nice Marin with dual suspension (cant remember the model)
He rides an Bike-E which is a recumbent bike (see pic) which is fun to ride and is very fast although it struggles up hill and on rough surfaces.

Actually I cant wait for the summer again so we can get the bikes out.

[BertRoot]

Recumbents are shit. FACT! You might as well buy a wheelchair. That one isn't as recumbent as the ones a lad I know has where the steering and bars and stuff are all low level by the seat which is like a fooking hammock.

[BM]

They are not shit mate, you can go way faster on a recumbent bike than you can on a normal bike as you have something to push against.

The other reason my dad has it is that we both suffer from numbness in the hands when riding a normal bike for too long. He gets it worse than I do.

I dont like the ones where the steering is under the seats, that seems strange to me. They are shit FACT

[BertRoot]

BM They are shit. FACT! ;-)

[Fusen]

fuck me, look at the size of the chain on that thing o.0, I don't take cycling that seriously tbh, rode everyday to school on it for 3-4 years but can't be fucked now in college, prefer to just walk. I've done the C2C three times though which is a nice trek across from whitehaven(north-west coast) to sunderland(north east coast) and has a couple big fuck off hills and then a nice flat all the way into sunderland which has been enjoyable (sea 2 sea, geddit)

[Ynox]

used to do a lot of riding when I was a kid, until some shite cut away the door frame of my garage and nicked my marin bear valley along with a load of tools

Since then ive been drinking a lot so hopefully this summer i'll get my lard ass down the bike shop (specialised rockhopper is near the top of my list although im not too sure as ideally i'd like something semi ok for freeride as well as xc).

[Nikki]

i used to have a mountain bike and a bmx when i was 14 / 15, but it gradually weared off and i got rid of them both.

Had a faze last summer for a few weeks where i went for random bike rides, but then i was pished at the fact me arse was sore after as the saddle is hard

reading your post makes me wanna get back on me bike now

[maltloaf]

reading your post makes me wanna get back on me bike now

thats the idea mate. Where I used to work we had a fair few cyclists and we all encouraged each other whatever peoples standard was. Our view was it's better to be doing it than not at all. All to easy these days to jump in the car and I'm glad i've got back on my bike(s)

[flanflinger]

fucking loving your bike Bert... always loved the GT's.. personal fave is the GT Palomar, cant be doing with full body suspension you need ridged rear end for the torque

I aint got a bike no more sadly... some cnut robbed it from outside me house.

[maltloaf]

their whole triple triangle design is very distinctive. Mines only a cheapy (and only used as such) but still has the same 'shape'. Very nice indeed.

As for recumbant bikes. Theyre really hard to ride until you are used to them and you can get up some serious speed. I would always feel at risk from traffic tho sat that low.

[BertRoot]

fucking loving your bike Bert... always loved the GT's.. personal fave is the GT Palomar, cant be doing with full body suspension you need ridged rear end for the torque

I aint got a bike no more sadly... some cnut robbed it from outside me house.

Cheers mate.

There aren't many full sus bikes I have ridden that don't soak up your pedalling. GT do some reasonable cheaper bikes. I have a few friends who own them following rides on mine or my recommendations. They are a good stiff, solid frame and I do rate them I had a few of their BMXs as a kid and was really pleased when they started doing mountain bikes. Great bloke Gary Turner but he has had his financial headaches with running GT.

[diablos]

what surprised me most about berts bike is it had a seat

great thread bytheway..

[BertRoot]

what surprised me most about berts bike is it had a seat

Only for long journeys as the prostrate stimulation can get a bit much after a couple of miles. ;-)