Search found 943 matches

by Annoying Twit
27 Aug 2020, 7:14pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Hungarian song about Cycling and Climate Change
Replies: 1
Views: 183

Hungarian song about Cycling and Climate Change

I can't understand the lyrics, but I think the video showing backwards footage of cycling is pretty cool.

[youtube]WQ3m-zrALJo[/youtube]
by Annoying Twit
9 Aug 2020, 12:27pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Skewer for Turbo Trainer doesn't quite fit
Replies: 6
Views: 374

Re: Skewer for Turbo Trainer doesn't quite fit

Thanks all. I went out to get a photo of the Skewer as requested by Jonathan. When I removed the skewer I could see that it had absolutely loads of thread for adjustment. By applying a reasonable amount of force, the nut thing started going past the area where it was previously sticking with no problem. (I'd only tried that before with the skewer in the wheel and couldn't see what was happening.) I think there was some gunge stuck in the threads or something as simple as that.

It now fits properly. Apologies for asking a question that, in hindsight, I could just fix myself.

I googled the frame flex issue a bit, and many people claim that frames breaking due to turbo trainer flex is a myth. I found one person who believed that it had happened to him. But, due to the amount my fitness has dropped and how much weight I've put on since lockdown started, I think I'll risk the frame. It's only a cheap one, and if it breaks I'll look into the cheaper Planet X full carbon ones. EDIT: This is compatible with other advice I've received in later posts.

The whole bike cost £340. So, I'm not sure what would be a like for like replacement frame, but II don't think it's going to be the end of the world price wise. EDIT: Maybe this would be like for like: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/brand-x-rd-01- ... e-frameset I'm at an age when I want to keep my fitness up as it will likely be harder for me to regain it if I get completely unfit.

I do have a spare frame in my garage that I meant to rebuild but never got around to. Hmm.... Would be easier if I don't need to fit brakes.

Thanks for the answers.
by Annoying Twit
9 Aug 2020, 11:50am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Skewer for Turbo Trainer doesn't quite fit
Replies: 6
Views: 374

Skewer for Turbo Trainer doesn't quite fit

Hi all.

I just bought a Turbo Trainer. Just a cheap lifeline one from Wiggle, but the reviews were reasonable. This one: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-tt-02-fluid-trainer

One thing I've noticed: The skewer doesn't seem to tighten up enough to hold the wheel firmly. Usually when I fit a skewer I tighten it enough to get the wheel just a bit loose, so that when I flip the quick release, it tightens up nicely. This isn't happening with the skewer that came with the trainer. It stops being able to screw tighten before it's in a position where the QR lever will tighten the wheel.

The possibilities are that the skewer is the wrong size. But, I have a fairly standard wheel on the back of my bike so I think that's unlikely. Or, I just need to use a bit of force when tightening the skewer to get past a tight bit. Or, the skewer is faulty.

How do I find out which is most likely to be the case?

Also, I note that with turbo trainers that the frame of the bike flexes when it is being used. Will this continual movement have any long term effects on an aluminium frame?
by Annoying Twit
3 Jun 2018, 2:45pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Vitus Razor
Replies: 2
Views: 639

Re: Vitus Razor

horizon wrote:The weight comes in at 10.3 kg. A steel Thorn Audax with mudguards and steel forks is AFAIK about the same (and even less with carbon forks). I'm not concerned about the weight as such but I always imagine these days that road bikes are much lighter (carbon, obviously) and that anything else is hopelessly heavy. So yes, price notwithstanding, I was a bit surprised.


I think that 10.3kg is reasonable for a road bike in that price range. My Verenti is officially 10.6kg, if I remember correctly and if the claims are accurate. (I have doubts about claimed weight in general.) A B'twin 540 (105 groupset) is £679, and 9.4kg claimed. So, you can start chipping away at the weight by opening your wallet further, but it gets expensive fast.

A B'Twin Triban 500 (Microshift 8-speed drivetrain), which is also £349, is 10.54kg.
by Annoying Twit
3 Jun 2018, 12:43pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Vitus Razor
Replies: 2
Views: 639

Vitus Razor

Note: I'm definitely not going to buy one of these as I have a very similar bike already.

Just curious what peeps think of this Vitus Razor. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitu ... prod159732

I own a Claris-equipped Verenti (Wiggle own-brand) which I think was good value for £340, but that model is not available any more. And before it wasn't available, the price went up and down wildly.

I was curious what else was around in the same price band as what I paid. Given that the Vitus has a Claris chainset, rather than the FSA chainset on mine, then isn't this Vitus an even better deal than mine? For £349, the Vitus seems a bargain. If I was buying today, I'd prefer this Vitus to the B'Twin Triban 500.

Opinions?

EDIT: For the ladies, a Sora equipped bike for £389. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitu ... prod159734
by Annoying Twit
3 Jun 2018, 12:29pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gerard Vroomen on the future of bicycle tech
Replies: 67
Views: 3068

Re: Gerard Vroomen on the future of bicycle tech

mercalia wrote:I thought that Hybrids were Gravel bikes?


Gravel bikes have drop-bars, hybrids have flat bars, typically. :D

If there is a major new style of bike, would this then work in terms of a N+1 sale to the kind of cyclist who has one of everything?
by Annoying Twit
3 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gerard Vroomen on the future of bicycle tech
Replies: 67
Views: 3068

Re: Gerard Vroomen on the future of bicycle tech

I can see gravel bikes being a good compromise. But, not intending to use the word in a pejorative manner, there is no shortage of 'weight weenies' in cycling. With larger rims and tyres, gravel bikes are never going to have light wheels. Are they really likely to become the most common style of bike?

Being less familiar with mountain biking, I'm not sure how many mountain bike users will switch to gravel bikes. Though, given that it's said that the majority of suspension knobbly tyre mountain bikes are never ridden in proper off-road places, perhaps there is a fair chunk of current mountain bike users who would be better off with gravel bikes than mountain bikes. (Though, most likely not a majority among users on this forum who are more likely to use bikes as they are designed to be used.)

But, skinny wheel road bikes are fine for the road. Why would road cyclists want to switch to gravel bikes?
by Annoying Twit
2 Jun 2018, 10:01pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?
Replies: 48
Views: 4324

Re: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?

Cyril Haearn wrote:Maybe there should be laws about similar names or businesses could buy up similar names to avoid confusion


You may have been ironic here, and it's whooshed over my head, but there are laws about similar names. It's called 'passing off'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passing_off
by Annoying Twit
2 Jun 2018, 9:59pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?
Replies: 48
Views: 4324

Re: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?

foxychick wrote:Now reported to santander fraud department at liverpool.


:like:
by Annoying Twit
2 Jun 2018, 5:24pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?
Replies: 48
Views: 4324

Re: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?

foxychick wrote:When you put stuff in your basket their are no options to pay by debit or credit cards or paypal.

These are the instructions below on their website on how to pay

Make your payment via Online Banking or Mobile Banking Apps. Please use the details provided on the next screen to make payment (these details will also be emailed to you). Please use your Order ID as the payment reference. Your order will be processed as soon as your payment has been verified.


There is a strong fishy odour emanating from that site, in my opinion.
by Annoying Twit
2 Jun 2018, 4:42pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?
Replies: 48
Views: 4324

Re: Oxford Cycles; genuine or not?

The link in the first post is a very different business from the Oxford bike works.

The prices on the site in the first post do seem very low. E.g. a Scott Speedster bike with 105 groupset, alloy frame and carbon fork for £549. http://www.oxfordcycles.co.uk/product/s ... road-bike/

I googled, but I couldn't find out anything about them. They may be new.

It could be a case of the prices being too good to be true.

EDIT: Odd, the descriptions of the bikes are internally inconsistent. The link earlier on in this post has brakes described with a Tektro pad product ID, unless I've got that wrong. This one: http://www.oxfordcycles.co.uk/product/s ... escription says Ultegra groupset in the paragraph at the top, but lists Tiagra in the details further down. Apart from the prices being low, something doesn't look right.
by Annoying Twit
31 May 2018, 8:02pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Fixed wheel bike no brake?
Replies: 49
Views: 3335

Re: Fixed wheel bike no brake?

thirdcrank wrote:
geocycle wrote: ... I wish I had made a note of the name of the bike but even a bike nut gets distracted in these situations -it incorporated the word 'fixie' on the downtube. ...


I lead an increasingly sheltered life. I've just discovered there's a company called Santafixie who, perhaps unsurprisingly sell fixies. These seem to be intended for road use, but some of the pics seem to show no brakes on the bikes. A quick look at the detail of one of the bikes says "two brakes included." One of the wheelsets includes a coaster brake. I had assumed that these were only fitted to roadsters etc., but I suppose if you want the look of fixed-wheel without having to work out how to ride it, this may be just the job.
https://www.santafixie.co.uk/#
It looks like a mail order operation based in Spain. Nothing directly connecting this incident with this company, of course, but a casual inspection of the www gives the impression of bikes with no brakes being fashionable. (There must be a more fashionable word for fashionable. :oops: )


All of their photos, that I saw, of people riding on roads show at least a front brake. Their video of how to put a fixie together shows a front brake attached, and also shows the front brake lever being attached to the handlebars.

But, I'm not happy about their bikes being shown without brakes at all. I'm personally concerned that this is a bit nudge-nudge wink-wink with bikes being sold in the knowledge that some purchasers won't bother with the brakes.

People riding without proper brakes not only endanger themselves, they endanger others as well. And they may also create bad publicity/impressions of cyclists.
by Annoying Twit
28 May 2018, 12:30am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Bit OT: Electric Bikes Bought from Shopping Channel
Replies: 3
Views: 1014

Re: Bit OT: Electric Bikes Bought from Shopping Channel

hemo wrote:Buyers get what they paid for a cheap bike, take the cost of the electrics off battery £180/200, motor kit £80/100 what are you left with not a lot.
Some people don't do there home work and think I'm not paying that, then when something cheap comes along they jump in head first then bemoan the item when it goes wrong. :?:


The buyer of the cr*p e-bike paid about £500 for it. In fact: they bought two of them, for a total £1000. With batteries, motors, and other things such as sensors and computer controllers, with an e-bike it's possible to both pay a sizeable chunk of ££££ and also to be getting a cr*p product.

The OP in that thread is now looking at Juicybikes, which cost over twice as much but have better reviews.
by Annoying Twit
27 May 2018, 4:54pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Quick Link (removal) tool - experiences / recs ?
Replies: 78
Views: 3823

Re: Quick Link (removal) tool - experiences / recs ?

I use KMC chains for everything, and have the KMC chain link removal tool. It works fine, and I find it a big advantage over using ad-hoc methods.
by Annoying Twit
27 May 2018, 10:46am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Bit OT: Electric Bikes Bought from Shopping Channel
Replies: 3
Views: 1014

Bit OT: Electric Bikes Bought from Shopping Channel

Bit OT as it's another forum, but the following is an example of someone learning a hard lesson.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sh ... ?t=5844225

In April last year, I purchased two folding electric bikes from Ideal World Shopping channel. First (and last!) ever purchase off a shopping channel.

The bikes have been problematic ever since I received them.

Between the two, we have had pedals falling off, chains falling off, punctures (due to poor quality tyres), the handlebars collapsing whilst riding, the saddle collapsing whilst riding, the wheel being damaged beyond repair due to going over a dropped kerb. etc etc etc.


I mentally thought 'Uh oh' as soon as I saw they had purchased bikes from a shopping channel.

At least 'supermarket bike shaped objects' aren't that expensive. But, with electric bikes, someone could spend hundreds and hundreds and end up with unusable junk.