Search found 55 matches

by Claud
29 Nov 2023, 4:57pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Q Bell For Road Bike?
Replies: 20
Views: 1312

Re: Q Bell For Road Bike?

Thanks lots for all the replies - very helpful :)
by Claud
25 Nov 2023, 6:54pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Q Bell For Road Bike?
Replies: 20
Views: 1312

Q Bell For Road Bike?

I like this style of bell - would take up very little space on road bars. But the only ones I can find are for ~22mm bars, rather than 31.8mm road bars. Long-shot: does anyone know where I can buy a Q-bell for road bars? Or something similarly slim?
by Claud
29 Aug 2022, 4:42pm
Forum: Health and fitness
Topic: Stomach Issues on Long Rides
Replies: 11
Views: 1211

Re: Stomach Issues on Long Rides

It's normal food I eat - white bread sandwiches/rolls (chicken, jam, bovril) + sweet stuff (brownies, cookies, flapjack) + alternating water and rehydration drink. No gels, protein bars, energy drinks. The reason for cutting down on fat and fibre (not calories!) was online research suggesting it as a solution - but different views TBH. On that first 200, it started ~3hrs after an ice-cream-sized scoop of clotted cream with cherry pie :D - no big fat intake on the recent 230 or on the more regular nauseous 150s.

And doing good training for the longer rides - not pushing myself insanely.

My drops are morning regulars, so always pre-ride, but yeh, had been thinking to try a 2nd number 2. So there's no drop after 100-150k rides, but more gas!

Appreciate the GP advice. Am sure there's nothing nasty going on as those 3 200s are spread over ~3 years (and longer for 150s), and have had the cancer checks in that time, and there's no changes to anything in normal life. Hoping for ideas from cyclists suffering the same (cheers!), but will go see GP too.
by Claud
29 Aug 2022, 10:24am
Forum: Health and fitness
Topic: Stomach Issues on Long Rides
Replies: 11
Views: 1211

Stomach Issues on Long Rides

Who else gets bad stomach issues on really long rides? Err, well, and further down than the stomach! What do you do about it?

100km is fine. 150km has me a bit nauseous. 200km is bad news - tried it 3 times now. The first I had a load of stomach pain and wanted a number 2, so stopped eating instead which was not good. The next was just nausea - no idea why that one went better. Then on the last 230k, the stomach pain was back big time, and a couple of nasty diarrhoea stops. In normal life, I've no stomach/diet issues at all.

I'd love to do more 200s, maybe even a 300, but this is the show-stopper. I eat little and often on long rides. I've tried reducing fat and fibre intake, which maybe helps the nausea a bit on 150s, but certainly didn't help on the last 230. Maybe imodium through the ride would work - anyone tried that? What else?
by Claud
19 Jun 2021, 8:48am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3337

Re: Padless Cycling Tights?

Have also found these padless lycra Madisons reduced from £75 to £30. Although tight-fitting, will add to winter choices (lightly fleeced), so bought a pair - Madison sizing worked on my waist & skinny legs (so a size up from Ronhills).
by Claud
31 May 2021, 4:13pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3337

Re: Padless Cycling Tights?

I finally got round to ordering some Tracksters. For the back, I measure 35cm from the crotch cross-seam to the top of the rear waist, so much shorter than the old Alturas, but legs are longer, and with no awkward empty space below the crotch :lol:, the back of the waist band ends up in the same place. I kind-of agree a higher back might be ideal, but personally am not fussed as they're high enough to be covered by cycling tops unless poss low on the drops, and anyway I'll always have cycling shorts underneath.

The fit in the legs is slightly tighter than the Alturas (I have endurance style legs, not sprinter legs), but still just enough room for a fleecy tracksuit bottom underneath for mid-winter. Lycra leg-warmers underneath would be perfect. Overall fit of the mediums is good for my 34" waist, without needing the draw strings. So for folks between sizes, or wanting ankles covered on long legs, maybe go up a size.

Thanks all for the advice!
by Claud
8 May 2021, 4:56pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3337

Re: Padless Cycling Tights?

Any chance one the Trackster fans could do me a favour and measure from the crotch cross-seam to the top of the rear waist and let me know the size? Looking at my worn out old Alturas they're only slightly shaped up at the back and have worked well for me if I don't use the leg loops to pull them down (40cm for a size L).
by Claud
4 May 2021, 8:16pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: gearing options and rear mech suggestion?
Replies: 10
Views: 558

Re: gearing options and rear mech suggestion?

Can anyone confirm whether all Shimano 9-speed derailleurs have the same cable pull, old and new?
I'm looking to replace an old Deore LX T661 with any of those mentioned here (Sora/Alivio/Deore), and continue running it with Tiagra ST-4500 9spd STIs.
Thanks.
by Claud
3 May 2021, 6:12pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3337

Re: Padless Cycling Tights?

Fantastic - thanks for the replies - seem to have hit more of a chord than I expected :)

I do like a pad/chamois, but prefer the flexibility to choose from my selection of padded shorts to wear under the tights :). Also like that the old Altura ones are slightly loose, so no rubbing behind the knee, and I can something else full length underneath on a cold day, but no flapping either. And like that they're on the thin side, so can pack small as it warms up.
gom wrote: 3 May 2021, 1:32pm Aside: I found unpadded tight tights quite difficult to come by, but Spa sell Lusso ones that are just what I like.
Thanks - are these a snug fit, or loose enough to fit another layer underneath, and not rub behind the knees? And is the sizing good, or need to go up/down?
Jamesh wrote: 3 May 2021, 2:13pm If you want tight lycra tights as opposed to looser Ron hills then more mile tights are good. Not expensive either.
Thanks - but I can only find padded ones so far - do you know which variety come without pads?
De Sisti wrote: 3 May 2021, 3:07pm Whereas the Ron Hill tights are adequate, they don't come with a high waistline (what you'd
need if you're leaning forward to your handlebars. These from Ozzo would be much better (imo) and I've tried both.
Yeh, cheers, definitely need a higher waistline. And cheaper than Lusso! How snug/loose are these, and for how does the sizing work out? And it says "spring and autumn", so I guess a thinish material?
by Claud
3 May 2021, 12:46pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3337

Padless Cycling Tights?

Long shot: Does anyone know of any loose fit tights that can be bought without a pad/chamios? (Yes, 'loose fit tights' oxymoron, but you know what I mean :) ). My 15+ year old Altura tights are at end-of-life, but I love them for their comfort and choice of road shorts under.
Thanks!
by Claud
26 Apr 2021, 8:53pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?
Replies: 6
Views: 459

Re: Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?

andrew_s wrote: 24 Apr 2021, 12:27pm 35-40k miles isn't all that high a mileage.
Yeh, fair enough, some folk do that every year :lol:
by Claud
26 Apr 2021, 8:50pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?
Replies: 6
Views: 459

Re: Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?

Thanks all - reassured to continue with the 'regular checks' method :)
by Claud
24 Apr 2021, 8:10am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?
Replies: 6
Views: 459

Life Span of a Chainset Spider & Cranks?

My Stronglight Impact chainset is ~15 years old with 35-40k miles on the clock, just replacing the rings as needed. I know alloy fatigues and can occasionally catastrophically fail. My question: Would any such failure usually be preceded with visible hairline cracks? So practically, is regular close inspection good enough, or should I just decide at some point that the spider and cranks are too old and replace the lot?
by Claud
1 Jan 2020, 3:19pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Lezyne Mini GPS Navigation
Replies: 44
Views: 2123

Re: Lezyne Mini GPS Navigation

Oooo - that Lezyne FAQ is useful (should've looked there before!). Also says "Why won't GPX files give me turn by turn navigation? Turn by turn navigation (TBT) is only written in TCX codes, so if you're using a GPX file it will not produce TBT. Also, it is important to note that not all TCX files produce TBT, only certain ones do. For instance, Strava TCX codes do not have TBT written in them. They will only produce a bread crumb line like a GPX file. Our GPS Root website produces TBT and also produces TBT navigation in their TCX files."

I was assuming I could just import a GPX to the Lezyne Mini (from an Audax organiser or the GBmapOmeter site I use for route planning) and off I go with TbT. So instead, can I assume the Lezyne GPS Root website or Ally app will do a conversion from GPX to TCX to add the TbT data?
by Claud
1 Jan 2020, 9:54am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Lezyne Mini GPS Navigation
Replies: 44
Views: 2123

Re: Lezyne Mini GPS Navigation

Thanks for all the thorough answers, guys. Will get myself a Mini :D