Cycling UK Forum

Any news on the new bridge?

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpoo ... -20689768/

[edit]
...apparently the public consultation is likely early 2009:
http://www2.halton.gov.uk/merseygateway/

12kg (26lbs)

Hard tail mtb with Hydraulic discs, 26*1.5" Specialised Armadillos (550g a piece ), Air Horn, Garmin, and LED lights. It's gained a bit of weight recently with the addition of an aero bar for fighting the perpetual head winds on my road rides!

8kg (18lbs)

Fixed gear 25" 531 track bike.

TBC!

Mystery 23" 531 road bike I'll be picking up tomorrow!

That's good to know cheers! I think the bike I'm getting is 531 too. That's pretty much all I know at the moment other than it's 23", parallel top tube, and 700c wheels.

I'm new to road bike bits and the various different levels of quality. What level is the Mirage? Is it an entry level component set of good durability? My only experience is with Shimano MTB stuff, so comparatively speaking would it compare to Deore, or XT level components?

I'm about to acquire an old Road bike that is in a usable condition but will need some attention. While I fully intent to get it running properly with new cables and as little money as possible I may be looking to change the gearing in the near future. I've done something similar to my mtb and by the time I'd bought cassette, chainset, chain, and mechs I would have been better off buying the whole groupset. I've got my eye on the Campagnolo Mirage groupset and was wondering what I would need to check on the frame to make sure it will fit before buying, other than making sure the front mech fits on the down tube. Thanks for your advice.

SIL4 wrote:...(much less hassle than hydraulic)...

I've had hydrualic discs on my commute (flat bar hard tail mtb) and although I don't do huge mileage (around 2000 a year) I have not had one problem with my base model Shimano (M570 I think) set. There are a few examples of hydrualic set ups that can be a hastle to deal with but I don't think this is down to them being hydraulic, merely they suffer some design short falls. Mine as most self adjust and are not permanently rubbing. The only time I've had to touch them is to change pads and to shift slightly to stop rubbing when I've swapped over from my on road to off road wheels and the disc sits in a slightly different position on the different hubs.

I would really love to get a drop bar commute with hydraulic discs and no toe overlap (which I believe I'd suffer on both the Trek and Kona) but as yet they aren't about, or at least I haven't found one.

I'm swapping jobs soon to a place with a more accessible workshop and casting facilities so I may be tempted to dabble with a few design ideas at some point but need to get the specs on the leverage, master cylinder swept volumes etc... I'd probably go for the Hope Mono Mini's for lightness with a 160 rotor up front and 140 or 160 to the rear. ...however this is in a queue of all sorts of random project ideas!

Thankfully didn't make it past typing it in! Started changing the status and thought "Oh hell, thats just all wrong!"

Almost made a bit of a fool of myself on facebook a couple of times recently. For those not on board there is a status panel where you can post a little sentence of what your up to around the time of updating the message. If I'm not doing work related stuff, playing with the guitar, or watching a DVD I'm normally doing something with the bikes. Is it an in joke to come up with phases and terminology that will make a public fool of yourself if not very careful?

The statuses are generally: [your name]'s up to something... ok a recipe for comedy but cyclists can stumble far to easily!

Ok there's the obvious;

Wes's bonked.

Alas, I wish! ...and here's one that nearly had me when I decided that I needed to get a taller gear to get the most out of my turbo (it's a bit limp on the resistance side of things) sessions;

Wes's looking for a big ring.

...and after changing the ratio for a gearing a couple of inches taller;

Wes's found that a couple of inches makes loads of difference!

You've been warned!

Not using the same valve cap on all of them are you? Something fowling on the pressy bit in the middle of the valve? Assuming of course your using a car type valve.

DaveP wrote:If Microsoft made bike bits...

Would I crash more often?

Any mention of "Blue Screen of Death" would install fear deep in the cyclist's heart!

...not to mention the "Are you sure you want to brake?" ..."Are you really sure?", ..."This will cause permanent loss of kinetic energy! Continue?"

Perhaps the above would be closely related!

AndyB wrote:Ha, ha! I'm well aware of Armstrong's style, but I doubt he spins at 120rpm when pootling along at 10mph admiring the scenery. I just wanted to add some balance to those who say you should cycle at 100rpm - it depends what you're after.

Fair enough. Have you seen this weeks cycle weekly? Page 35. There's a guy in there, Nik Bowdler who pushes a 77th chain ring at 60rpm in his time trials. His lowest gearing is 108" and the top is 160". I think this is like all things there'll be something that suits the masses (which I guess is somewhere between 80 and 90) and the ones who either don't fit the pattern like Bowdler, and ones that push it as far as possible like Armstrong. I believe Boardman is another advocate of high rpm riding.

As for me I'm happy sitting at 90 (an average reading from the computer) for long rides (in my books anyhow!) and have done so for up to about four hours. I'm trying to get fit for time trialling over the winter so am trying to get averages over 100 while on the trainer, with 30 second intervals up at 130-140. about 180 is the most I've ever done, but that really is just for a few seconds, and is not sustainable for me.

Apparently Reed, the female BMX and Track rider can hold 200 for 2 minutes! (That snippet probably came from someone on here!)

AndyB wrote:True, but don't expect to tour at high cadences.

Check out the Riding style section. I think he may do a few tours!

Lance Armstrong

kwackers wrote:Has anyone done lejog on one (with their mates) and if so can they still buy trousers that will take their enormous thighs.

Alternatively I could see a unique new event for the track! It'll be some brave soles in the back for that though! Can you imagine trying to stop the bike if it where a fixie with three up?!!

insanityideas wrote:+Bike appears to pick up speed better, and carry it more easily.

have you any idea what your averages where like for your commute before and after the new tyres? It'd be nice to have some figures on it as I'm planning to go from the Nimbus Armadillos to those tyres for exactly the same reasons.

...also if you have too much spare time (!) what is the rolling circumference of the tyres? My Nimbus where about 1960mm. If you sit on the bike with the valve at the lowest point of the tyre then roll forward until it's at the lowest point again and measure the distance.

Cheers!

All of the above!

I don't like going by the kurb for the reasons you identify. I do so in certain situations, but not often. Normally if I want to skip a load of stationary traffic I will do so either to the right of a single lane of traffic, or between the lanes of a dual carriageway. I always look to rejoin the traffic and take the lane once I'm within 50-100 meters of traffic lights or junction that's causing the jam as I've heard to many horror stories about not getting enough room at junctions, and had many close calls myself.