Cycling UK Forum

I feel that I might have been right about this.

Just tried logging on from one of the university machines (no link what so ever to my home machine) any it cameup with an Adobe lisencing agreement page!

The forum bit showed OK, then the Adobe stuff came up on top, then the "Home" "forum" bit down the left appeared once I'd OKed the Adobe screen.

Bizar!

Perhaps we should have another poll on what we use our bikes for? Although most people's first choice is 'tourer' I'm sure that there are a number of these that use their 'tourers' for commuting, club runs, day rides, shopping, etc rather than traditional tours, what with tourers being so versatile.

Gavsdad wrote:Why have I got drops on my bikes?
I only ever use the tops/hoods, cannot remember when I last went down on the drops. Why don't I just cut the drops off and save the weight? (sounds like a nose-job on a cold day).

Well, in my case, if I cut the drops off I'd have nowhere to hang the bags of shopping

Yep, annoying isn't it!

But, if you are looking at the ads like the ones in my local rags, then they are mostly from what some people unkindly term "POBs" rather than "Cyclists". They have little knowledge concerning bikes, and assume that they only come in two sizes: adult's or kid's.

the cannondale doesn't really fit the bill as I've already got a flat barred road bike and a couple of MTBs so it would be a repeat. I'm after a single bike that will do both at once and carry luggage, and, for some reason, has drop bars.

In my experience, hybrids tend to contain the worst of both worlds: heavy, slow and often not overly strong or well made. I know that they are improving but the improvements, IMHO, seem to make them into cyclocross or all round tourers rather than hybrids!

Afraid it's not first hand so may not be much use to you, but while riding in a group during an audax the subject came up. One chap claimed that he'd had the guard crack and break (but IIRC he didn't say that it jammed) and another said he had a club mate who also had one crack.

actually it might have been lidl that I got mine - aways get the two mixed up (the shops that is, not the socks, which, as mentioned, have R and L written on them).

On one hand it can be annoying as it appears to be another snub to cyclists' rights.

But on the other, the parking of cars in bike lanes is a standard and justified retort to the mouth breathers who come out with "You oughta be in the cycle lane".

blimey - luxury compared to the 1960 splittie camper that I used to own a share in . Wish I had one!

pigman wrote:SL6
now thats a proper bike - cool machine
must live in a flat area, or have legs like ullrich to get by on a 39x21

how can it be a proper bike - it won't even take mudguards

I tend to insert something that isn't sharp and won't scratch the bar or damage the grip (like your kinitting needle), once the object is in I then squirt WD40 under there and start moving the grip so that it gets well distributed. As it works around the grip will slide off easily.

To re-attach grip, clean all the WD40 off both grip and bar and make sure it's all dry. Squirt firm-hold hair spray inside the grip. Slide grip on easily. Wait for the hairspray to set and grip will be firmly held in place.

I'm after a new bike and my heart is arguing with my head

I'm torn between a rufty tufty 26inch wheeled tourer, like a Sherpa or Sardar , and a cyclocross with full brazeons, like an Uncle John or Cross Check

The uses it will be put to:
1) touring, long weekends to 2 weeks, in the UK, B&B and odd bit of light/wild camping, road and fireroad/sheep track/BW type offroad at sedate pace. Need luggage lugging ability, comfort and reliability.
2) events like the HONC - long fast multi terrain day rides that take in both road and off road of moderate technical nature. Need comfort, speed, strength and some ability to take in a bit of XC.
3) playing down the woods with MTB buddies. Needs speed, XC ability and strength.
4) CTC club runs - speed ( ), good in a group, bling factor .

I know what I really need is a custom titanium jobbie but out of my price range.

So, do I go for the sure safe steady sadar/Sherpa, or for the excitenment and speed of the cyclocross

What do ya think Opinions welcomed

I would be inclined to cut through the top tube just infront of the seat tube and cut through the down tube just infront of the seat tube, and then visit this website:

http://www.dutchbikes.nl/bodies_uk/frame_ks2.htm

So what's the difference between roughstuff and mountain biking? And how am I going to decide whether 26" or 700c are better on a tandem.....

MTBing, these days, is such a wide church that there isn't really such a thing as a typical mountain bike. Indeed, I'd say that RoughStuff is just another aspect of MTBing.

For our tandem, which is used for moderatly loaded tours and light off road, we use 26inch wheels. We chose these because 26ers are meant to be stronger than 700ers, all else being equal.

However, if it's a new tandem that you are considering then you might like to have a look at Landescape tandems - these will take both 26 and 700 wheels (you via using discs or paired canti mounts.)

There is the old adage about drop bars having more positions. However, it isn't as straight forward as this.

For instance, on my drop barred bike the positions that I use for 90% of riding are: 1) on the hoods, 2) on the tops, 3) on the top corners of the bars (just behind the hoods), and for the other 10% 4) on the drops.

On my old flat barred (with 'L' bar-ends) tourer: 1) on the grips, 2) on the angle between bar and bar-end, 3) on side of bar-end, 4) on the front extension of bar-end with wrist on grip.

So that's 4-4 but one of the positions on the drop bars doesn't get used that often. Another point against drops is that the position that gives most control and best braking is the least comfortable position, whereas on the flat barrred bike the position with most control and best braking is a very comfortable position.

But drops can offer a more aero position, even if it isn't as comfie.

Another thing to consider: has the frame already been built? If so then putting the wrong bars on could make the reach wrong as flat barred frames tend to have a longer TT than drops (for the same desired reach).

But overall, I think that it just depends on what you have gotten used to over time - crusty old roadies will swear by drops, people who've started via the MTB/hybrid/city bike route will have more liking for flats. I use both in equal measure. I prefer drops on my faster bikes and flats on my more touring type of bikes (esp if they are used to take in off road bits).