Cycling UK Forum

Carrera Subway 2

SRAM really tough and dirt tolerant MTB Gearing
26" MTB wheels with discs
Easy to fit some mudguards and a MTB disk type rack

My choice of tyre would be Schwalbe Landcruisers which have low rolling friction and would cope with the bridleway. £10 a tyre.

Should total up at about £400 with all the bits, but Halfords often discount them heavily. These arent like the awful Appolos, the frames are rumoured to be made in the same place as Specialised, and the rest of the parts are quality bits. Compared with the bikes you mentioned you will be getting a lot more for less.

Order it online to get the best price and assemble and tweak it with the assistance of the excellent YouTube videos.

Al

How long....., how to try it out?

It's a big problem. I found that my local bike shop was very loth to let me go any distance. Halfords were better. With a big budget like yours, I would ring them up first and get a commitment from anywhere you are considering. Rarely will all the standard bits you want, be your choices - pedals, saddle, types, and even for an expensive purchase, you wouldn't expect your choices to be fitted just for a tryout.

It wasn't until I had my 'last' tourer 3 months that I felt it was almost right after changing various bits and now a year later I can still see room for improvement. My modified Halfords special cost less than half of what you are spending. It was well worth looking at the online PDF brochures for Thorn bikes, there is so much experience and good sense in them - up to 16 pages of why and how their touring bikes are made like they are, and how they choose optimum components. Choosing the right gear ratios for loaded touring, the Halfords bike came with SRAM MTB gearing exactly the ratios recommended by Thorn. The excellent but inexpensive Velo saddles Thorn fit as standard, Ergo bar ends and padded grips, Panaracer Pasela tyres..., all class parts that make that subtle difference. My only indulgence, disc brakes.

At 50 you see this as your last steed. At 68 I am not yet at that stage, and looking forward to the next one!

Al

I gave up a leather saddle for a Velo Plush. It was £20 or so and vastly superior. The bikeradar one looks a bit extreme. I can ride and ride with no pain now.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d.html/re ... B004HSBTBU
Al

On my 14 day trip around Brittany, after 7 days the hard leather saddle beloved of so many, left me in agony with pulverised sit bones. I discarded it and bought a Velo Plush like this and never looked back. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Velo-Saddle-Plu ... 287&sr=1-7 . Leather saddles are a pain when its wet and modern technology has provided gel which disipates pressure points, and porous coverings that enable the saddle to breathe. The technology makes sense, and it works.

I have a Charge Spoon on my MTB, its little more than a perch, but comfortable enough for short rides. It hasnt got the surface area to sustain my bottom without pain for long periods. The surface pressure is just too high because the surface area is small.

I am 15 stone and I think weight and bum geometry makes saddle choice a very personal thing. Lighter people suffer less. Be prepared to spend a few quid finding the ideal saddle.

Al

Not iPhone, but Android Applications, used on my HTC Desire. I expect most are available for iPhone though.

Google Mail and Google Calendar - both synchonise instantly with your PC and tablet, contacts too - brilliant mail system
Picasa - Upload photos straight from the phone, view them too - brilliant.
You Tube - make notes comments whilst the vid is running. Great for 'How to's' mending and maintaining bikes.
Google Maps /Sat Nav - brilliant little sat nav for driving and walking, cycling too, but power hungry can be used sparingly.
OS Maps - free 1:50,000 OS maps of anywhere with sat nav positioning, made my Memory Map almost redundant. A cache of maps would make it perfect for off road work.
Google Voice - all Google stuff has voice input, - mail, sat nav etc, its pretty good but local terms it often gets wrong.
Android Market - browse and download Android Apps on your phone anywhere, no need for PC tethering.
Kindle - I read quite a lot of books on the phone with the Kindle application, a tablet or proper Kindle like my Mrs has would be better, but when I am away its perfect, no books to carry.
Google SkyMap - when you are camping, this is fun
Lonely Panet - its OK
Flixter Movies - identifies local cinemas and whats on, you can book a seat too
Tune In Internet Radio - very clear Internet Radio, I often listen to New York or Chicago Jazz this way
Power Amp Music Player - with its graphic equaliser this thing allows you to tune your phone to get the best sound from your MP3's. I actually hate plastic MP3's though and prefer my Hi Fi. Only use is when I am touring.
Spring Pad note taker
World News - all British Newspapers on your phone and dozens of foreign ones too - brilliant! As we are Times subscribers (paper version) I can access that too.
London Journey Planner - as an expat Londoner this is an absolutely wonderful aid. From your GPS position to wherever you want to go with transport timings too.
Slimming aids! - Recipe Droid - plug in what you have and it suggests recipes, and WW Points Calc - a helpful aid to losing a few lbs, not as slick as the old Palm application but still pretty good.
Birds UK - a nice little series of pictures and birdsong to identify our feathered friends.
Wozzon - Whats on locally - pretty good
Then of course there is Facebook, but who uses that except youngsters? Got it, but dont use it.
The flashlight got me back from a distant pub one night
The Wi Fi hotspot - turns your phone into a WiFi hotspot - never had to use it.
There are loads of other infrequently used things, some useful, some not.

And finally... all the bookmarks that can take you straight to sites like this.

Al

Oh when I am at a loss for anything to do there is Angry Birds and Harbour Master

I am going to go for an Axa - HR bottle dynamo principaly for keeping my smartphone/sat nav charged. I cant contemplate a hub dynamo because the cost of a new front wheel, 26" with the complication of disc brakes. I dont really fancy shelling out for an E Werk either. Pension won't stretch that far.

Does anyone have a circuit and instructions for making a rectifier/ voltage controller suitable for making a cheapo 5V phone charger out of Maplin type bits?

Al

This technology has been around for years
1. You make a 3d cad model
2. You print it in layers of uv curing varnish.
3. You use the model as a pattern to make a mould
4. You cast the part.

For low volume manufacture of bike parts, the best and strongest result is machining from the solid.
I used to sell these machines and lecture on the technology. There are lots of variants ranging from sliced paper to sintered powders. This technology was first used to make printing plates in 1979. It is not new. Look at 3d Systems web pages.

Al

I have been involved with this process and its development since 1980. Believe me, its vapourware, the resins are not strong enough for real parts. You might be able to make some weak false teeth with it. It's for prototyping parts the correct shape, which don't have the necessary strength.
A load of guff recalled by a gullible press.

Al

Rigid MTBs are more versatile. But I feel your pain. I made this choice a year ago, the 531 job had to go. My stable is a flat barred tough tourer with 26" wheels and a full suss MTB. Between them they do it all. At a pinch the MTB could go.

Al

Any Android mobile and you have both of these map formats on it free. With the big amoled screens you would get a more readable map too. Orange san Francisco is less than £100. There's a half decent free sat nav too.

Al

I was in Halfords oday and I asked a very experienced guy about this. He says try adjusting the tensioning screw at the back of the derailier. Also, take the cable out and check it, it could be twisted or damaged.

10 speed cassette! I am impressed

Al

Buy a Carrera Subway and fit drops and a suitable stem, mudguards and disc friendly rack and you are in business. It will cost you a lot less, and do the same job.
Absolutely no snob factor but great bikes

Al

Hmm
Didn't notice that, pity.
I was there for the fiesta, it went on all night for a couple of nights - manic. Very interesting much maligned island with lots to see and do. I love all the Caesar Manrique art, his house, sculptures etc Lots of great cycling, some pleasant and some challenging. Out of season its great. Lose the tourist tat places and see a different side to Island life.

Al

http://casacantarilla.org.uk/
Stayed here on Lanzarote. In the middle of this fascinating island away from all the tourist tat. Quite close to that sports hotel where they train for iron man etc. Fantastic food from wonderful English hosts. Get a nice Tapas lunch for a song in local cantinas instead of rip offs you get on the coast with the herd.

Wonderful rooms and facilities. Ignore the stuff about courses, no need to do any course. Just a great place with excellent cycling in every direction. I am sure they can sort you out with good steeds if you ask.

No connection other than as a very satisfied customer twice.

Al

I use SRAM gears, I have them on my Carrera Subway and I used to have them on a Carrera Kraken I find them fine.On SRAMs the spring that keeps the chain taut is much stiffer than Shimano. This is because SRAMS are better for rough surface off road work, and cut down incidences of chain jump. That may lead to the levers being a bit stiffer.

What I would do is have a good look at some videos about SRAM on You Tube and see if that throws any light on your problem. My shifters are the cheaper SRAM 4 or 5, but they arent stiff at all. I think your problem will lie either in the shifters or in the cables.

Halfords people arent likely to be much help, but what you could do is take your bike in to them, try shifting gears on a Carrera Kraken or Subway (or another one of your model) in the shop and compare it to yours. If yours is much stiffer just reject the bike and tell them to swop it out.

Al