Cycling UK Forum

Hi,

I appreciate that this option probably wouldn't be the right light for the OP because they wanted an integrated reflector. However I just thought I'd mention it as an option in case anybody else reading or following this post is interested.

I'm currently using a Moon Comet R and I attach it to my rear rack using the Moon bracket that I've posted a link to below.

http://www.moon-sport.com/product-detail.php?id=72

http://www.moon-sport.com/product-detail.php?id=129

Raleigh sell Moon lights but I think that they're pretty widely available:-

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=2&pt=117&pg=8836

http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/ProductRange/Product/Default.aspx?pc=2&pt=236&pg=11794

Apologies as this doesn't include a rear reflector but my mudguard has a reflector so it wasn't essential that my light had one on as well although I guess that would have been nice. The only thing that I'd say about the light is I do have to charge it regularly. Like MikeF what I'd really like to do is build a wheel with a dynamo hub in and then get dynamo lights such as from B&M for my daily commute so I'm not such a slave to constantly charging lights and batteries.

John

Hi Bicycler,

Thanks very much for the two posts.

Both the table and the info on the width of the rims on the bikes that I'm looking at is much appreciated because prior to this post I was completely confused about rims & tyre width options.

Thanks,

John

Hi RickH and Bicycler, thanks for your advice which is much appreciated!

Following your thoughts I think that I'm fairly comfortable that the Continental tyres would fit on the Cube. With respect to the VSF T-500 I'll try to contact the people who sell them to see what they think about the width of the tyre and clearance with respect to mudguards.

Also thanks to mar for the link which is interesting. Regarding the width of the rim whilst I can measure the width of the rims on my current bike they don't seem to list the actual width of the rims on the bikes that I'm looking to buy so I might have to email the manufacturers on this subject as well.

Thanks for your help & advice!

John

Hi,

I do a similar distance commute to you everyday however I don't have to use any county paths. My essentials list is very similar to you own and I've looked into lots of bikes and I've narrowed it down to one of two being the exact VSF Fahrradmanufaktur T-500 that you're looking at and the Cube Travel SL RF, link below:-

http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/tour/travel/cube-travel-sl-rf-anthrazit-green-2015/

To be honest I'm drawn to the VSF T-500 due to the steel frame which I hope would be better on the longevity stakes because I want the bike to last a long time.

However when comparing the Cube and VSF T-500 head to head on some of the specifications:-

Frame: Cube = Aluminium vs. T500 = Steel
Brakes: Cube = Shimano BR-M355 Hydr Disc Brake vs. T500 = Shimano BR-T4000 V-Brake
Gears (both internal hubs): Cube = Shimano Alfine SG-S7000 8 speed vs. T500 = Shimano Alfine 8 speed
Tyres: Cube = Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Kevlar 42x622 vs. T500 = Schwalbe Marathon Racer 35x622
Front light (both dynamo lights F&R): Cube = Busch & Muller Eyc T Senso Plus vs. Busch & Muller Lumotec Lyt Plus. *
Rear light: Cube = Busch & Muller Toplight View Plus vs. T500 = Busch & Muller Toplight Flat Plus
Front Hub: Cube = Shimano XT DH-T785 vs. T500 = Shimano DH-3N72 **
Weight: Cube = 13.9 kg vs. T500 = 14.8 kg

* Regarding the front light looking at the beam patterns on the website link below the Cube's B&M Eyc light looks a lot better than the B&M Lyt on the T500. Also looking online at various shops the B&M Eyc is a more expensive light that the B&M Lyt.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp

** Not that I'm an expert on dynamo hubs but looking on various websites the Cube's XT DH-T785 hub dynamo is more expensive that the T500's dynamo.

I'm not an expert in components but to me the quality of components fitted to the Cube bike seem to be better. Furthermore the Cube has disc brakes as opposed to V-Brakes on the T500. As well as the brakes being a clear difference the big difference seems to be what the frame is made of with the Cube having an aluminium frame whereas the T500 has a steel frame. The frame material is one reason why I'm having a really difficult time deciding between the two bikes. From a components/specification it's the Cube that stands out to me however the steel frame of the VSF T-500 really appeals to me from a longevity/durability point of view on a bike which for me is a daily commuter all year around.

Good luck with finding the right bike for you and your commute!

John

Hi AlastairS,

I think that whatever the weather and whether it’s recommendations for cycle clothing whatever the season materials, thickness, long sleeves, short sleeves etc. are a very personal and subjective thing and what’s right for one person isn’t right for the next.

However if it helps there’s a merino baselayer that I have and I’d happily recommend. I got the Endura BaaBaa Merino L/S Baselayer in an end of season sale a couple of years ago and I’ve personally been really happy with it. http://www.endurasport.com/products/?ProductID=124

I personally think that I get really hot very quickly when cycling and anecdotally I always seem to be wearing less than other cyclists that I see when I’m commuting. At the moment on my commutes to work (I think that the temperatures are around 2 degrees celsius up to around 6 or 7 degrees) on my top half I have the merino baselayer under a summer short sleeve jersey. When the temp has been closer to 2 I’ve also used arm warmers but if the temp is slightly higher I go without the arm warmers. At those temperatures everything on my body is comfortably warm enough.

Having said that I think that I get hot very easily and quickly I’ve been really impressed with the merino baselayer and I think it helps keep my body a comfortable regulated temperature without getting too hot and sweaty. I’ve also been impressed because the merino baselayer doesn’t seem to smell too much after rides when compared to synthetic clothing and it also dries quickly after washing. I’ve been so impressed with this merino baselayer I’ve also now bought myself a lighter weight short sleeve merino baselayer which I use in spring summer & autumn and I think that helps keep me cooler and regulates my body temperature better than just wearing a single layer synthetic jersey.

One thing on my winter commute that I can suffer from is sore ears if the wind is really blowing. Therefore in an attempt to combat that I’ve also just got myself an Endura BaaBaa Merino Skullcap. http://www.endurasport.com/products/?ProductID=143

I’ve been using this for about 3 weeks now on my daily commute and I use it on days when either it’s really windy anyway and on any days when the temperature is down below say 5 or 6 degrees. So far I’ve been really impressed with this product and it really helps eliminate any pain that I was getting on my ears.

Apologies because this might end up sounding like a product advertisement for Endura but these are the products that I have and so can’t speak for other brands.

Hope that this helps.

John

Hello All, I’ve been reading this with interest because I commute all year around in all weathers.

I apologise for asking a question in this thread but rather than start a new thread seeing as my question is about winter tyres that I’d like to buy I thought I’d post here rather than start a new topic. Following on from the post by andrew_s and having read some good reviews elsewhere I’m interested in buying some Continental Top Contact Winter II tyres but I’m confused about which size to buy and so I’d appreciate any help and advice.

Part of my problem is also the fact that I’m currently saving money and I’m planning to change my bike next year if possible. However before that I’ll still be riding through this winter on my current bike, a Trek 7.1 FX which is about ten years old. I’ve looked on the rims and there’s no info left on what size they are but I’m confused and I don’t know if the rim size has an impact on which tyres I can put onto the rims or not but I’m assuming that the rim size will make a difference. The tyres that are currently on my bike are Bontranger Select Invert 700 x 35C (37-622).

The Continental Top Contact Winter II tyres are available in 700x37 (37-622) and 700x42 (42-622) sizes. Therefore I wondered if it’s just my current Trek 7.1 FX that I’m buying for I guess that the 700x37 (37-622) Continental tyres will be okay. http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20topcontactwinter.shtml

However what complicates the situation is my plans to change my bike next year if I’ve saved enough. I’m looking at two different bikes with one being the:-

Cube Travel SL RF
http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/tour/travel/cube-travel-sl-rf-anthrazit-green-2015/

On the Cube the rims are CUBE ZX24 and the tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Kevlar 42x622.

The other bike that I’m considering is the:-

VSF Fahrrad Manufaktur T-500
http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/katalog/trekking?product_id=673

On the VSF T-500 the rims are Exal MX19 and the tyres are Schwalbe Marathon Racer, 35-622, reflex.

My hope was that if I bought winter tyres now for my Trek 7.1 FX I could use them again next winter on whatever bike that I buy. However I’m wondering if there’s a problem with that because the Cube bike has 42x622 and the VSF has 35-622 tyres. Therefore I’d guess that if the Continental tyres were to go on the Cube bike I’d need the 700x42 (42-622) or if they were to go on the VSF T-500 I’d need the 700x37 (37-622) tyres. If that’s the case then I think I’ll just have to stick with my current tyres throughout this winter and wait until I’ve hopefully bought a new bike because I don’t want to risk buying tyres that won’t fit my next bike. However if either the Continental 700x37 (37-622) or 700x42 (42-622) tyres would fit on any of my current Trek or the Cube or VSF bike then I might take the plunge and buy some Continental tyres now.

Thanks for any advice and help by reply which will be really appreciated because I am confused about rims and the tyres sizes that will fit on them.

John

Hi sreten,

Just briefly off the topic of which bike to buy I've been giving your advice about pedaling a try. Therefore using the easier gears I’ve been pedaling at a higher cadence although I’ve no idea what my cadence is because I don’t have any type of computer to monitor this. It does seem slower for now but as you said it would at first I’m not worrying about this.

I just wanted to ask you if I can actually get my pedaling technique right because I don’t have clipless pedals? I’ve started to read a couple of things about spinning and pedaling round but I’m not sure I can actually do all of this without clipless pedals? I do have toe clips on my pedals so I guess that this may help a bit compared to just a pedal on its own and I have been doing my best to increase my cadence.

To anyone reading this sorry for veering off my commuter bike advice topic and I’m still researching a commuter bike so I’m happy to receive any other thoughts & advice. I was just intrigued by sreten’s advice so wanted to ask a question.

Thanks,

John

Hi andrewk,

Many thanks for your advice with respect to the components which is much appreciated.

Also many thanks for the feedback from a Cube owner which is really helpful and it's good to know that you're happy with yours and that it rides well.

I guess with the frames it's a very tricky one to predict because without a crystal ball looking ten years into the future as to what each frame would be like given the same riding conditions.

Thanks for all of your advice.

John

Hi All,

Sorry to ask but I just wondered if anybody had any thoughts on the pros & cons of two of the bikes on my shortlist going head to head:-

The Cube Travel SL RF:-
http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/tour/travel/cube-travel-sl-rf-anthrazit-green-2015/

Versus the VSF Fahrrad Manufaktur T500
http://blog.chrisbikes.co.uk/2014/02/vsf-fahrrad-manufaktur-t500-alfine-8.html
The following link is the manufacturers German website and so apologies because I can't speak German and so I can't figure out everything on the site but I think that I can get the general idea of the bike spec. I'm hoping that I can ignore the fact that they've used a photo of a step through frame because on the Chris Bikes blog the photo of the T500 does not have a step through frame.

http://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/katalog/trekking?product_id=673

Head to head specifications:-

Frame: Cube = Aluminium vs. T500 = Steel
Brakes: Cube = Shimano BR-M355 Hydr Disc Brake vs. T500 = Shimano BR-T4000 V-Brake
Gears (both internal hubs): Cube = Shimano Alfine SG-S7000 8 speed vs. T500 = Shimano Alfine 8 speed
Tyres: Cube = Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Kevlar 42x622 vs. T500 = Schwalbe Marathon Racer 35x622
Front light (both dynamo lights F&R): Cube = Busch & Muller Eyc T Senso Plus vs. Busch & Muller Lumotec Lyt Plus. *
Rear light: Cube = Busch & Muller Toplight View Plus vs. T500 = Busch & Muller Toplight Flat Plus
Front Hub: Cube = Shimano XT DH-T785 vs. T500 = Shimano DH-3N72 **
Weight: Cube = 13.9 kg vs. T500 = 14.8 kg ***
Price: I'm not certain but from what I can find it's Cube = £850 vs. T500 £899

* Regarding the front light looking at the beam patterns on the website link below the Cube's B&M Eyc light looks a lot better than the B&M Lyt on the T500. Also looking online at various shops the B&M Eyc is a more expensive light that the B&M Lyt.

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/headlights.asp

** Not that I'm an expert on dynamo hubs but looking on various websites the Cube's XT DH-T785 hub dynamo is more expensive that the T500's dynamo.

*** There's 1 kg difference between the two bikes and I know that neither is a lightweight but having a lightweight bike is not high on my priority list and so the 1kg difference is not a big factor to me. A long term, reliable and sturdy commuter is the priority which has the longevity to withstand many years commuting if looked after.


I'm not an expert in components but to me the quality of components fitted to the Cube bike seem to be better. Furthermore the Cube has disc brakes as opposed to V-Brakes on the T500. As well as the brakes being a clear difference the big difference seems to be what the frame is made of with the Cube having an aluminium frame whereas the T500 has a steel frame.

I wondered if anybody has any thoughts on what they might feel is the better of the two bikes. I'm wondering if despite the fact that it appears that the Cube has the better components for the money the fact that the T500 has a steel frame would mean that in terms of longevity that would be the bike to go for?

Thanks to anyone in advance for any thoughts!

John

Hi barrym, thanks for the thought and it definitely looks like a good deal on the bike that you've posted a link to but it is a bike with a full sized frame that I'm after.

Thanks for the idea though.

John

Hi townbikemark,

Thanks for the info in respect of Chris bikes and also for the comments regarding longevity.

Hope you have a good weekend.

John

Hi sreten, thanks for the post and I guess I've never really thought too much about whether I'm mashing or spinning. Not that you need to have a computer to tell you but I've newer had anything to tell me what my cadence is. I've been riding for nearly 30 yard now but I'm no expert by any means and I guess that perhaps I might get heavily criticised if I were ever to be looked at by a coach. I've never down any club or competiion riding or anything like that so I've always just ridden on my own or with a couple of mates. In my teenage years it was mainly mountain biking that I did during which I'd utilise all of my gears however I've always lived in relatively flat parts of the country so the moiutain biking was limited to slim pickings destination wise. At the sometime I've always ridden a lot of road stuff but I've never owned a road bike. I guess this is because a bike has pretty much always been my main means of transport and so I just used the bike that I had for whatever type of riding that I had to do. The two bikes that I owendd when I was younger were both mountain bikes and that decision was driven by the fact that I was mainly doing mountain biking at that time. The third bike I owned which is the Trek 7.1FX that I bought from a friend was driven by the fact that he wanted rid of it and in a rush and it seemed to offer some benefits to the rides that I did on the road when compared to the mountain bike that I had.

It's only now that I'm commuting everyday that I've sat back to really try and think about trying to get the right bike to suit my needs. In terms of pedalling technique though I've abolsutley no idea of mine is good or bad and the fact that I've never really thought about it much probably means that it's bad. One thing is that I live in a pretty flat part of the country and so there's noting too lumpy to tackle. When pedalling I never try and make it to difficult and would never be cycling at the point where I feel like I'm having to work real hard or push down & forece the pedals around. I just seem to pedal at a cadence which seems a comfortable rate for me to maintain and if the gradient goes up change down or if the road goes up (if I've got high and low the right way around and apologies if I haven't but it's been a rubbish and long day at work so my brain is a bit frazzled) and beyond that I don't really think about it too much. That'll probably mean that I'm doing everything wrong but for me I just don't really seem to make any use of the easiest gears on the Trek 7.1FX.

Hi townbikemark, thanks for a the bike tips and I'll take a look at all of them. Lots of these bike manufacturers are new to me and so many thanks for the post because I wouldn't have found out about them otherwise. However with the first one I actually surprised myself as I had heard of the Fahrrad bikes. Regarding the link that you sent is the Chris Bikes blog linked to a shop? It seemed to me like the blog mentioned bikes for sale but this might be because it's late and I'm tired but I was struggling to find out if it was linked to a shop and if so where that shop is?

The number of bikes that you've come up with certainly shows that with the specification that I originally mentioned I'd have a lot more choice if I lived in on he continent.

Just taking the first bike that you've found, the VSF Fahrrad Manufaktur T500 Alfine 8 speed, it sounds like a really nice solid commuter bike. If it was compared to something like the Cube Travel SL RF, link below, do you think that the Fahrrad would offer some advantages over the Cube bike? The Cube bike does offer the option of a belt drive however I'm not sure how much the belt drive costs as an optional extra. The bike itself seems to be available for somewhere between £800 - £850 depending on where you look. However one thing I was interested in was peoples thoughts on the longevity of certain bikes. Obviously I know that you've got to look after any bike if you expect it to last. However given that the bike that I'll get will be used for year round commuting whatever the weather and so will have the worst of the elements and things such as salt from the road thrown at it I wondered what people thought about what frame material I should choose? For example the Cube has an aluminium frame whereas the Fahrrad has a steel frame. I wondered if anybody has any thoughts / experience of what frame material will be best in the long run because with whatever bike that I buy I'd like it to last a long time. I'm not too worried about weight because I'm not going to be racing anybody and I'd choose longevity and quality over a lightweight bike in terms of where I'd prioritise things. I'm not saying that I'm starting out with the intention of getting a heavy bike but just saying that it's more important that I get a quality bike that will last a long time being used through all conditions and whether that be a light bike or a heavier one I'm open to suggestions and thoughts including what type of frame material I should go for.

http://www.cube.eu/uk/bikes/tour/travel/cube-travel-sl-rf-anthrazit-green-2015/

Thanks again for the posts and I'll take a look at all of the other bikes that you provided links for.

John

Oh and also in reply to Bryce I should have said that I've been riding my commute to work for two months now. So far I've had the luxury of commuting in the summer but so far so good and I'm really enjoying it.

With a young family and a long list of house diy jobs to do the good days of being able to disappear for long weekend rides are on hold for the moment and so the commuting offers by far and away my best chance to get on a bike at this time and so I'm making the most of it.

Thanks,

John

Hi All,

Thanks for the posts above with link to sites with guides about maintenance because they'll come in really useful through my winter commute!

Thanks to LuckyLuke for the ideas on building up a bike. I did originally start out with an idea of doing this as I could remember an old frame in the shed of a family member but when I asked about it unfortunately it had been given away so my original plan of building up around a frame that I could easily get hold of won't now work. That's why I switched focus to getting a bike via the cycle scheme because I can spread the payments out monthly and I'll be doing my best to buy a bike which suits my riding needs.

Following on from the questions from Bryce I can answer as follows. I can't say how I'll feel about the everyday commitment to commuting by bike until I've done it for a full winter but at this time I'm certainly determined to try and do it. I've been cycling for nearly thirty years but I think as i mentioned in an earlier post this is the first time I've actually decided to commute to work by bike. Previously I've had a combination of a train journey followed by a short walk. However following a house move for me I know see the best way of getting to work as being by bike. When I was younger I did a lot of mountain biking and I did that all year round in all weathers and in addition I used to take my mountain bike on long road rides as well (admittedly it wasn't the best bike for the job but as a kid I just got on with it). Therefore I'm certainly willing to give the year round commuting a try and I'm lucky because there are showers available when I get to work.

The biggest problem with my current bike is I think in part the frame size. I bought it second hand from a friend and he's 6ft 4 and I'm 5ft 11 so the size of the bike doesn't seem to suit me. I also feel that most of the gears are completely wasted on my commuting route. It's a 7 or 8 year old Trek 7.1 FX and it's a 21 speed derailleur with one oversized cog on the rear cassette. On the front chainring I'm very rarely not using the largest chainring and only use the smallest 3 cogs on the rear cassette. Therefore I don't really feel that the gears on the Trek suit the riding that I do. Regarding traffic the ten miles is a mixture of rural and urban. The majority of the route is in pretty heavy traffic. On part of the route I can choose quiet country roads but they're unlit and cars can travel extremely fast down these country lanes so arguably are no safer from traffic despite the lower number of vehicles. Thanks also to Bryce for all of the thoughts and advice on dynamo lights, brakes, gears and type of bike. I'm definitely including drop as well as flat bar bikes on my short list of bikes to buy and I'll be trying to get my hands on as many as possible to try.

Thanks to Townbikemark for the bike tip and I didn't even know that Cooper made bikes so the tip is much appreciated as it's another new one to me to go on the list. I like the idea of a steel frame to hopefully aid the longevity of the bike. I know that the Reynolds 520 tubing is made under license in Taiwan as opposed to the UK but then at my price point I know that i couldn't afford the more desirable higher end steel tubing. On this subject has anybody on here owned a Cooper bike and have any thoughts/ feedback on them?

Thanks again to all for your tips and advice!

John

Hi sreten,

Thanks for the tips & link in respect of maintenance and any tips for the essential maintenance are gratefully received.

Also that seems like an absolute bargain recommendation for the Decathalon Hoprider 500 City Bike and it certainly looks great value for what you get so I'll take a look and add it to the shortlist of bikes to consider. With Decathalon do you know if their bikes are available in shops or are they online only?

At the moment I'm going to visit as many bike shops as I can looking for the bikes that people have recommended so if possible I can see/try them but I know that it's going to be impossible to find everything and so I'll be comparing what I see in shops spec wise to the bikes that you can order but I can't see in a shop.

At the other end of the financial scale from the Decathalon Hoprider I read a news article featuring a bike which admittedly definitely won't be going on my shortlist of commuting bikes to consider. However in a fantasy dream world if I win the lottery I'd certainly be taking a look at this bike which to me looks a real beauty of a bike however I appreciate that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so people don't share the same views on their own dream bikes.

The Shand Stoater Rohloff ( http://www.shandcycles.com/frames/allroad-plus/stoater-plus-overview/ ). If money was no object I'd be able to add the mudguards, dynamo, dynamo lights etc. and thoughtfully the disc brakes are mounted on the chainstay instead of on the seatstay which gives more options when mounting a rack which means you hopefully wouldn't have to end up with a very wide disc specific rack.

Anyway snapping out of dream world and back to reality I'll be trying to track down as many of the bike recommendations as possible and thanks again today to sreten as that's certainly a bargain recommendation. Also looking at the reviews on the Decathalon website from people who have bought the bike they seem overwhelmingly pleased with it.

Thanks,

John