Cycling UK Forum

I bought my Horizon 6 years ago because I was on a budget. With the frame being the same as a Galaxy (then but not now) I thought if I replace parts with better ones as they wear out I'll gradually get a Galaxy without the initial outlay. That's virtually what's happened, but by starting with 8 gears, I couldn't get to a 9 speed by replacing gear components one at a time as they wore out.

I've just edited my OP, after I realised that the frame got replaced under guarantee when it was still only a fortnight old. I'd forgotten that while I was looking at all the components I've changed.

It's what philosophers call the Grandfather's Axe problem. If your father replaces the handle and then you replace the head, is it still your grandfather's axe? The philosopher's answer was that you have to define the meaning of grandfather's axe first.......

So what's the steepest people manage without walking? With my 25" bottom gear I've been up Sutton Bank and a hill at Pett near Hastings which are 1 in 4, but I walked The Long Mynd and Rowen Hostel which are also marked 1 in 4. So that's about my limit, give or take the tolerance on the signs. I had to push up Chimney Bank which is 1in 3, and rode Kirkstone and Fleet Moss at 1 in 5. I'm going to see if I can pedal a 1 in 3 when I get my new gears which will give me a bottom of 18".

How much of your bike is still original as it left the manufacturers? I was gazing idly at mine the other day and wondering. By the time my new gears arrive next week, my 6 year old Horizon will be down to:

Rack
Mudguards
Seatpin
Hubs
Cantis
Brake Levers
Brake Cables
Reflectors

Si wrote: I've given up on them and gone to bar-end shifters on the tourer.

How many miles do you get out of those? Mine lasted about 14000.

hubgearfreak wrote:1 for me

It looks like me and thee are the only ones, then. Personally, I don't even take the wheel out unless I'm forced to.

LowPlainsDrifter wrote:For instance here in the library where one time of day you could come and sit and read, look at books etc. in peace and quiet.

A couple of years ago, my local library organised a drum kit for the local kids to come in and have a go!

You ought to need a licence to breed.

Put my name down for the test examiner's job.

Did you see the cheeky guy who pinched it live on Channel 4 news last week. They just announced on the news this dinner time that the Police are looking for him. She did such a good job of not batting an eyelid, I thought perhaps he was just miming for the camera...

I'll mix with people of any age, but the young are not renowned for their willingness to mix with old fogeys of their parents generation, hence the age limit of 28 at Richards hostel, presumably.

As someone who turned to cycling because a dodgy ankle was hindering my fellwalking, I have to say walking is a better way of tackling the hills. The downhill stretches provide a necessary respite from the climbing, but whereas downs last nearly a long as the ups on foot, the downs are over in minutes on a bike and you're back to the next climb.
The other difference is that metalled roads don't generally follow ridges, so having climbed the pass, it's straight back down again and on to the next. Fellwalkers don't travel like that. They climb up to the ridge, and then follow it all day before coming back down again.
On the subject of gears, I've just ordered a 44-32-22 and 11-34 which is the lowest and widest range you can get with Shimano, so we'll see how that feels when it arrives. At the moment I'm on 48-38-28 and 11-30.

Mick F wrote:That's awful, Axel. Really awful.

I didn't mean all at the same time by the same bloke!

Mick F wrote:Oxford Backpackers
Not good. Noisy and crass. Over-busy. Lockable bike store at the front, but very overloaded not just with bikes - junk and old fridges! Dorms cramped and airless - tiny windows. Kitchen should've opened at 0700, but not till 0730 coz desk staff got in late. Reasonably priced. I'll stay at Oxford YHA next time, even though it's a bit expensive.

The one on Hythe Bridge Street I take it. When I was there I could hardly get the bike shed door open let alone a bike in. After I went back up to reception, she came down, threw the other bikes on top of the pile of junk as if she was throwing bricks in a skip and looked at me as if to say "so what's the problem?". Apart from the pokey kitchen, my main gripe was being gassed by air freshener.

As a 48 year old, I've noticed that many independents tend to be frequented mostly by youngsters, some of whom don't always make you feel welcome. Has anyone tried Richards in Leicester? It's a useful location now that Copt Oak has gone, but is it right that there's an 18-28 age limit?

I was interested to see the Ship, I'd not found that on any of the lists. Over the winter I spent some cutting and pasting time compiling one big hostel list that combines the YHA and all the independents from the separate lists. I could post it on here, but I suppose I'd end up in bother with copyright....

Now that I'm using more and more independents as YHA's close, I thought I'd start a thread for people to post their recommendations or otherwise.

Bath YMCA
Clean, good shower, some mixed dorms, middle of town location, no bike shed but chain it to seat in courtyard off street. Cooked breakast available but no self catering!! They allow you to take your own cold food in during the evening, but not when they're serving their own during the day.

Exeter Globe
Average clean, very good shower, some mixed dorms, middle of town, keep bike in reception, kitchen OK but small and VERY hot!

Plymouth Globe
Average clean, good shower, some mixed dorms, located by Hoe, keep bike in back yard, nice and roomy kitchen OK.

Glastonbury
Part of hotel in town centre, well above average cleanliness, shower OK, kitchen/diner fine, noisy at weekends, carry bike upstairs and chain it to bannister on landing.

Matts Surf Lodge Newquay
Scruffiest I've stayed in, but cheapest too (£10 in 2006). One of two showers not working, kitchen clean and good size, chain bike to fire escape at back. Help yourself to muesli for breakfast.

Whitesands Lodge Sennen
Small annexe at back of B&B/cafe. Room clean but kitchen/diner piled high with unwashed pots. Ropey knobs on gas cooker caused anxiety about leaks (may have changed since 2002). Small bike shelter.

Ulverston
Pleasant hostel, and clean. Nice kitchen, good shower, meals available, don't know about bike shed.

Hamilton, Fishguard
A year or three since I stayed, but from memory it was clean and pleasant. Fair sized kitchen, help yourself to toast for breakfast, shower ok, beds larger than average. Not sure about bike shed, but I think there was an enclosed back garden and an awning. Nice lounge with satellite TV. Open 24 hours for ferries.

I've been threatened with a hammer, spat on, squirted with water, buzzed with horn blaring, driven at, yelled at, attempted slap on backside from passenger in passing car, and if it counts, had a driver do a bunk without paying for damage after a crash.

hubgearfreak wrote:

axel_knutt wrote:I sent them an email over a week ago asking for prices of parts not listed on their web page. They've not bothered replying....

you can't be sure that they got it.
try ringing them up, i also found them really helpful

I've just faxed the order to Roseversand. I asked them to acknowledge, but I 've heard nowt from them either.