Cycling UK Forum

Really good quality tyre levers can help a lot. I was using Park Tools', but recently I've been using a set of Specialized Pry Babies and found them better for stubborn tyres: thin at the end so easier to slip under the bead, but still rigid enough not to bend under stress.

Ridgeback Avenida might be an alternative? More modern-looking than the Pashley, with an alu frame, but still with all the requisite bits. And I bet it weighs less. Ridgebacks are normally good quality for the price.

hamish wrote:Can anyone tell me if the Condor Heritage or Ridgeback Panorama would have toe clip ovelap for a rider with size 10 feet with mudguards on a large size bike?

Thanks

Hamish

Strange you should ask. I got a 52cm Heritage a couple of months ago, and one month ago I fell off sideways in the road: my foot jammed against the front guard as I tried to start off and turn at the same time. Scratched the STI lever and the rack, crushed my little finger badly, got cuts and bruises on my legs, the front guard pulled out of its safety sockets and twisted round, the rear LED got broken... I was not pleased.

I have size 11 feet (varying 10.5 to 12 depending on the brand of shoe). Wearing my Shimano MTB shoes I get a substantial toe overlap. However this was partly down to the way Condor had fitted the front guard: at the bottom end it was a long way out from the (32mm) tyre, and they hadn't trimmed the struts at all. After the prang I adjusted the guard closer in and cut the struts down. Much better now, but still some overlap. (And the mudguards seem to have deformed following the accident so that they sometimes buzz against the tyre when I go over a bump.)

So with size 10s on a larger size you will probably get a small amount of overlap... but if you insist on Condor adjusting and trimming the mudguard properly before you leave the shop, you may find that there's none at all.

I should say that I'm generally happy with the Heritage, but most of the little problems I've had since purchase have related to the mudguards. I suspect their mechanics aren't very familiar with fitting them.

(I've seen the great CJ claim in the CTC mag that there's no excuse for toe overlap: it's always avoidable. From this I can deduce, Sherlock Holmes style, that Chris is more than 5'7" tall and takes a size 8 or smaller.

A group of us took the train down to Brockenhurst on Saturday for a sociable ride in the New Forest. The train had four bike compartments, each designed to hold 3 bikes (with those stupid wheelbender racks that MTB tyres don't fit into, admittedly). 12 spaces might sound generous compared to most modern trains, but everyone else had obviously had the same idea as us: by the time the train pulled out of Southampton, our compartment alone had 7 bikes in the 3-bike space. The guard noticed but discreetly chose not to pass comment.

Coming back, the staff member on the platform at Brockenhurst showed us where to stand so we'd be in exactly the right place for the bike section on the next train, and told us, "It might be a bit busy, but you can always stand in the corridor and hold your bike if you have to. Don't worry, we'll get you all on somehow."

Strange but true.

I'd write to SW Trains to compliment the staff, but I'm afraid I'd get them into trouble...

You could try Wantage CTC. Looks like they've got an off-road ride coming up on 13 June that might suit you. I don't know what the Wantage group is like (mix of ages, types of cycling etc.) but it's got to be worth giving them a go and you can make some contacts.

CJ wrote:

DaveP wrote:Smart head vs Twinhead:
Anyone dare to comment?

Yeah: the Smart head is too clever by half! I was initially so impressed with the Smarthead on the Topeak Twister than I bought the Smart upgrade hose for my old classic SKS floor pump (on which the rubbers in the presta chuck last for about five minutes!). But after a bit more than a year's use, the head on the Twister lost its smarts!

Dismantling and cleaning and extending the internal spring worked for a bit longer, but not long enough to be worth repeating. And when the Smarthead on the other pump went the same way I got a Twinhead upgrade hose for the Twister. That's been working fine for about three years, except the schraeder end doesn't fit as well as it used to.

So I put the old hose back onto the SKS and use that one for schraeder only.

Now the too clever by half electronic digital gauge on the Twister has also died. So I think the SKS will get the Twinhead next. It is the most reliable connector.

I upgraded my Topeak Joe Blow from Twinhead to Smarthead a couple of years ago and the Smarthead is still working fine on both valve types. Perhaps there was something wrong with your one? The only thing I have against it is the heavily spring-loaded QR lever, which gives you nasty nips on your fingers until you get used to avoiding it.

thirdcrank wrote:Over the years, I've generally found that if I've been bunged up, as soon as I've got going down the road and blown each nostril clear by squeezing the other in turn hand blowing, I've been OK.

Remind me never to cycle behind you at the start of a ride...

My complimentary copy turned up on Friday, so it does exist. Still not convinced that anyone got it earlier, and it's still absent from the shelves of my local WH Smith.

I sat down to read the magazine properly for the first time last night. It's a bit odd...

www.beerintheevening.com is always my starting point for pub-hunting in unfamiliar territory. In your case it lists the Black Horse in Checkendon. According to one reviewer, "Food was simple - filled rolls with a choice of cheese, ham or beef."

Spray on Muc-Off (or diluted Fenwicks). Leave for a few moments. Scrub with a nylon brush (I use one designed for car-washing) and lots of hot water. Sorted.

Of course, you'll find your clothes and face are now covered in splatter marks...

Biscuit wrote:Some good ideas - I like the radius plan, shame though that Swindon will be at the center of my radius I shall spend the weekend planning somewhere away from madding crowd but with a 'radius' in mind.

You are kidding, surely? One of the great things about living in Swindon is that it's slap bang in the middle of some fantastic cycling country. (The other great things are the Beehive pub and - er - well, let's move on.)

A 100 mile loop around Swindon could take in the gentle lanes around Malmesbury, the lower Cotswolds (Quenington, Lechlade, Bampton etc.), the upper Thames valley, the Vale of the White Horse, the Marlborough Downs, the Vale of Pewsey.. .a whole network of minor roads with little traffic and a variety of idyllic scenery.

Draw a circle round Swindon on your map, and you're almost ready to start. How to get out of town depends which side of town you live on, but from the west or the centre I'd probably follow the cycle routes out west to Malmesbury then head clockwise. If you're on the east side, try leaving town via Wanborough.

DavidT wrote:I really like the latest incarnation of this magazine, but have posted previously about the trials and tribulations of getting it ordered.

I now have an order with W H Smiths, but have also been waiting for the latest copy for a couple of months now.

Hmm. I placed an advert in the latest (April) edition. I didn't get my promised complimentary copy, so a couple of weeks ago I phoned them up and they said their printer had done a short run, and they were waiting for a second print run. Apparently WH Smith and other retailers got priority for the first run; subscribers and comps have to wait for the reprint. Leaving aside the question of whether it's right to put pre-paid subscribers at the back of the queue, I haven't seen it appear in my local Smiths in the past month. I'm beginning to wonder just how many copies actually went out. Has anyone seen the April edition?

I wouldn't mind, but the ad I paid for will now be out of date.

http://www.bikeforall.net . The website's a bit of a mess, but it's got lots of useful articles for novices.

My (blue) one is looking OK. What colour is yours?
I find it breathable enough, but the flapping sleeves get a bit annoying. And the stuff sac is far too small. Sure it stuffs down to the size of a tennis ball, but who wants to ride around with a tennis ball in their back pocket?

Kingfisher Outdoor and Raleigh both have junior levers in their ranges. Most bike shops should be able to order these in for you. Or try searching for junior brake levers on eBay - three on offer at the moment.

Or sign up for your local Freecycling scheme and see if anyone in your area has a battered old bike you can cannibalise for parts.