Cycling UK Forum

I want to change the tyres on my Galaxy as I shredded the rear one last week on a broken bottle so it's time, albeit prematurely.

I have, hung up in the shed, some schwalbe marathon tyres in 28's that I got from a car boot. Nearly new.

Wondering if these will be too narrow for touring. I have a few loaded weekends coming up, no camping gear but will certainly be carrying around 10kg or so.

I've been using 37's up to now and will gladly buy the same, but wondered if the 28's would be strong enough just to save me a few pennies?

I have a Lezyne Hecto front light. Find it good for commuting on well lit roads before sunrise. Very bright head on and a good range of modes. I feel like I am seen with it

I sometimes pair it with a moon gem 2.0 (I think it's called). This is also a good light and had a good fit inducing strobe mode that seems to get the required attention.

Both available for under £30

Both these lights are USB chargeable

Cheap bib tights with cheap pads cause this issue for me.

Actually, it's not always cheap that's the problem, just poorly fitted.

Always found their dry bags excellent.

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,

Vorpal wrote:

chris3vic wrote:... as I stuck my hand out to turn right I almost struck the guy - he was that close.

I usually look before I stick my hand out.

Nah, I lay money (50p) that "chris3vic" is a boxer he was aiming for his head
Twice I have stuck my hand out thinking the car will go around me but they drive under my arm
Cant win.

My works has a boxing gym for employees to use. I went in once to fix the computer they use to book people in, if that counts.

Vorpal wrote:

chris3vic wrote:... as I stuck my hand out to turn right I almost struck the guy - he was that close.

I usually look before I stick my hand out.

Well, aye, to be fair I should've looked a little harder. It was slightly mischievous of me to stick my hand out as I knew he was close, but not close enough to touch.

Couple of weeks ago this happened to me as I was cycling against a strong headwind. Was aware for a while of this jerk behind me but as it was a busy a-road with deep kerb and flowing traffic there was just no way to slow down and let him pass - plus I had a good momentum. Eventually I had to slow down to get in the right hand lane at the lights, and as I stuck my hand out to turn right I almost struck the guy - he was that close. It was raining and visibility was poor so I didn't realise he was that close. Cue a barrage of abuse from him accusing me of trying to knock him off. Why are you drafting me? I asked him, to which he stuck the v's up and called me a ****. Nice chap.

Anyone else have that one hill that just seems to win every time?

It doesn't even have to be a steep one. Mine for example, is a short quarter of a mile climb into the town where I live. If I came across it on a weekend ride I wouldn't notice it. I can cycle 80m in one day round North Wales and yes, struggle with some hills, but just get battered by this one. I think its a mental thing. The fact it's so close to home and at the very end of my commute. It doesn't matter how fit I feel or which way the wind's blowing, I always hit this climb with dismay.

When I first started cycling I used how difficult I found the hill as a benchmark for my fitness goals, and its never got any easier!!!!

As the cold mornings draw in I find I'm constantly having to wipe my eyes to stop them from streaming tears and blurring my vision.

I'm after a pair of sports glasses too, but don't want to spend more than 20 quid. I used to have a pair of Polaris clear glasses that I got from chain reaction, but they were stolen from my bag one day.

Will let you know when I buy a pair.

Brucey wrote:since there is no movement in that part when pedalling or freewheeling, the noise was somewhere else all along, or perhaps there is as yet another undiagnosed fault.....

cheers

Yes maybe indirectly dislodged the grit whilst cleaning.

But would the wheel rotate around the skewer if you know what I mean and pardon my ignorance?

My bike got caught in the crossfire between two pavement jet washers last week - I only just remembered about that. I bet that was the cause.

Noticed a lack of grease in the rear derailleur too, so took care of that.

After a lot of faffing about I think I've sussed it.

There was a lot of grit and dirt in the bit that the quick release skewer passes through. I blasted it out by spraying wd40 through it at close range. Looks like black sand. Cleaned and greased skewer and the noise has gone.

I'm glad it was something simple. No idea how so much grit got in there though

rualexander wrote:Maybe still the bearings, when you take the wheel out of the frame the bearings are under less compression so may not make the noise.

Ah yes that's what I though.

I'm just taking MLJ's advice right now and trying a few different things. Trying to isolate the problem.

If it's a hub problem, that's a bike shops job right? I don't think I'm confident enough yet to get into the bearings.

When the wheel is in place on my Scott S20 I can hear a clicky, gritty sound when I rotate it.

It's there when I'm pedalling and when I'm freewheeling.

Kind of sounds like a bit of sand is lodged somewhere.

At first I thought bearings in the hub, but if I take the wheel off and spin it I don't hear the sound. It's only when the wheel is on the bike.

Any ideas what this could be? I've degreased and relubed the chain and cassette and cleaned up the skewer, but that clicky, gritty sound is still there.

Thanks

I should mention though, my friend had big problems in Cambodia. Bike was couriered to a hotel with similar name in same city - Siem Riep I think. It took 4 days to figure out what had happened and he had to get a bus to the next destination to meet his group.

If I remember it right, the hotel manager brought retrieved the bike by bringing it from the wrong hotel on his own bike. Apparently it was some sight to see him coming down the road.

Kudos to you if you're doing this. It would frighten me to think of going anywhere in the hope of picking up the right bike.

Perhaps you can arrange for your bike to be couriered separately and independently to Bangkok. Say, to the hotel you're staying at on first night. I know people who have done this in Italy, India and Cambodia.