Cycling UK Forum

My hubby uses wet wipes and swears by them.

What has struck me from this post is why was a cyclist speeding along outside a school?
I am sure all cyclists have had near misses where a pedestrian has stepped into the road as they have not heard the bicycle approaching. There usually is a lot of parked cars outside schools, along with busy parents who are running late, need to get to work etc. Silent cyclists are not easy to spot. There are speed limits and speed bumps outside schools for a reason, not just to slow down cars.
Therefore I would suggest that the cyclist was not cycling safely and would have some explaining to do.

My workplace also runs the Cycle2work scheme which you are supposed to purchase your bicycle from Halfords. However I rang the phone number of the scheme which was on the paperwork and the staff member was very helpful in telling me all the local shops where I could buy the bicycle from. I have now purchased 2 bikes from a local bike shop under the C2W.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/times ... -cdc9hsl86

Interesting read

Mark1978 wrote:You've been eating too much. Sounds blunt but that's the physics of the situation.

Oh and good luck btw. I've lost 11kg this year with 11kg to go to my goal.

Thanks that was good advice, I think sometimes we kid ourselves that we have been eating less than we have been. I had put on a few pounds over the last couple of weeks, but now I recall that I have been eating a bit more than usual.

My company's cycle 2 work scheme is also through Halfords but a number of independent cycle shops are signed up to this scheme also. Ring up the Halford's cycle2work scheme helpline and they will tell you which ones they are.
I did this and was given a few to chose from, and bought a very nice Trek hybrid which does all things you described wanting, from a very good independent bike shop.

Whatever method you use anyone can see that this nation is getting fatter. Back in the 1980s a day's cycling would include a stop at in a field or park bench and consume home made sandwiches and tea from a flask. Now we stop at coffee shops, drink lattes full of milk and sugar and eat slices of cake as big as doorsteps and goodness knows what is in them.

It is the food industry which has got us used to eating larger portions of high calorie foods, it is and groups that encourage exercise are fabulous but it has to go hand in hand with healthy eating, pointing out the pitfalls of the 'tea stop'.

Have a spin to Kenilworth and have a look at Mike Vaughan cycles, they are very helpful and have quite a few bikes on show. Whilst there have a coffee with free toast at The Almanack.

Non of the above. I want to lose weight and exercise but exercise especially cycling makes you hungry.

There is no way I can only eat 600 (500 for women) calories a day. I am grumpy in the best of times

My new bike is a road bike as was the old one. The aerodynamics is a good point, as well as little and often think I will persevere for a bit. Thanks

I have recently purchased a new bike and have done 2 short rides on it. I am very pleased with it except that whilst riding developed a pain in my collar bone. I measured the width of the handlebars when I got home and the new bike is 4 cm narrower than the old bike.
What do you experienced cyclists advise, just to persevere and hope that my body will get used to the new cycling position, or to change them so they are the same as the old one? The shop where I bought it is a distance and I work so it be a faff changing the handlebars but I obviously don't want an injury.
Any advise welcome

What is the best way to log your miles, using an app like strava, writing it down in a book, creating a spreadsheet? Any other ideas as my new years resolution to log my miles has already been broken and by December 2015 I really want to see how many miles I have done.
Reading all your logs is really inspiring

Thanks for the replies. We have now found out that a few women's road bikes have a triple chain ring which maybe the answer.
Also Trek bikes, now I come to think of it my hybrid trek has an annoying click on each pedal turn. This comes and goes for no apparent reason. Lots of people have looked at it and no one knows what it is so it can't be fixed.

Why do you dislike Trek, Is there something I should know before parting with hard earned cash?

I am in the process of purchasing a women's carbon road bike, probably a Trek.
On my current bike, a carbon Boardman 2011 I have 42/34 chain rings. The new bikes have 50/34, does anyone know if I can replace this to a 42/34? The bike shops all say the best they can do is a 46/34.