Cycling UK Forum

PH wrote:It's a mixed bag and has a problem of not being clear who it's aimed at. Just who is this beginner?

A really good point that's been echoed by several others. I write marketing materials for a living, and yes, it helps to know who your target readers are

There's also clearly a lot of CTC / CUK politics about which I know nothing. My impression of the CTC (from a few club rides 25 years ago) is of grizzled old tourists -- friendly folk, certainly, but also not the sort I'd expect to be teaching real beginners. I was probably wrong even then, and times have clearly changed. I'll lurk and learn.

Cheers reohn2, that's really useful. Apart from the floods I was going through yesterday my riding is undemanding, and it's pretty flat round here! So I'm sure resin pads will do just fine. Anyway, the main message is that I'm not likely to be damaging anything.

Yes it is grit causing the noise,don't worry about it,when/if it does it give the brake lever a little squeeze to clear it
Truing the rotor up as suggested is a doddle too

Thanks! Feathering the brakes does help. I was just a bit concerned about scoring the rotors or getting grit stuck in the pads.

Thanks kylecycler! I have trued wheels in the past, so I'll certainly try straightening the rotor. However, I don't think the rub is permanent, because the noise eventually disappears when the rotor is clean and dry. And although the rear brake also scuffs, that rotor seems to be straight.

I take it your own brakes don't make this kind of noise? Come to think of it, maybe I could just increase the clearance a bit. Perhaps the current gap is too close to the size of our local road grit. It's very sandy here in north Norfolk, especially after all the rain.

Thanks also for the pointer about avoiding grease. I probably haven't taken this seriously enough. I'll try some brake cleaner first.

As a newcomer to disc brakes I'd appreciate a bit of advice. When riding in dirty conditions, my brakes make a scratching sound. Presumably bits of grit are stuck between the pads and the rotor. Is this normal? Should I worry about this in terms of damaging the brakes? Is there any way to stop it?

My new Scott Sub Speed 10 hybrid has Shimano BR-M396 brakes, at least according to the spec sheet. The rear rotor runs true. The front one is a bit uneven, though not enough to cause any problems when the brakes are clean. When I ride through dust or water, however, both brakes make a quiet "scuff scuff scuff" sound. Stopping performance doesn't seem to be affected. The bike has a belt drive that's nice and quiet, so I guess that makes the scuffing more noticeable.

Thanks for any hints.

"Will such Advice Really Encourage Beginners ?" In many cases, yes, I believe it will. And those who won't be encouraged are probably sensible enough to ignore it.

Like many of the people on this thread, I started cycling long before the days of special clothing, helmets, energy drinks or other paraphernalia. I just did what kids of my age did. As I grew up, I cycled to university, then to work, then just for fun. Along the way I learned that decent bikes were nice to ride and easy to work on, that Lycra is comfortable and practical even for short rides, that clips are good and clipless even better. And I put up with all kinds of poor-quality gear, like those Ever Ready fork-mounted lights that exploded when you rode over a bump in the road.

Now it's a different world, and mostly a better one. Bikes are better and relatively cheaper. Modern lights are fantastic. There's a wonderful choice of excellent gear at a wide range of prices (and I'm a cheapskate).

So please let's not be curmudgeons. Of course all you need to start cycling is a bike, and I'm sure that's enough advice for many people. But a great many others are somewhat competitive, whether that's in terms of bikes, speed, miles or clothes.

Competition is not my bag at all, but let's recognise that the world has changed. Lots of people want to take their new hobby seriously, fancy gear and all. If that gets more people out on bikes, fine by me.

Thanks for the heads-up. A couple of pairs of shorts will be handy.

Thanks, that's very encouraging. As you say, a lot depends on how it feels and fits compared to other models. I would probably need the medium size (48 cm), which is showing "out of stock" on the Halfords website at the moment. Bummer!

Thanks also for the hint about Pitlock. I had to look them up, but it seems a neat idea. Bike theft is not unknown here in rural Norfolk, but I'm not too worried that wheels, saddles and so on would go missing.

Azeem, did you end up going for the 13 Intuitive Gamma? I'm thinking about getting one. I'd like a hub gear, so was also thinking about the Charge Grater 3, Ridgeback Flight 4.0 and the belt-drive Cube Hyde Race.

The 13 seems like a lot of bike for the money, and since the Gates belt drive is expensive I'm wondering if the £800 Cube cuts any corners. But you say you loved your Cube?

With regard to Gumtree, it sounds to me as if you neatly avoided buying a stolen bike. Can't think of any other reason why a seller would not tell you the number in advance. If it still had a number, that is.