Cycling UK Forum

Dr pepper wrote: ↑27 Apr 2023, 5:33pm I looked up the chainglider I didnt know such things were available, I get through chains quickly they often get wet and covered in roadsalt so protection would be welcome, I have a chainguard its just one of those that rivets to the top chainring, it doesnt give enough protection my trousers must contact the top chain direction, I'd like a guard that covers the crank and top chain.

Here's a photo of my Open Chainglider. After two winters I reckon it's about 80% as effective in chain protection as having a full Chainglider. Before I got one of these I was frustrated about how filthy the chain got on my mucky local rural roads. The photo was taken last summer when everything was clean.

TerryField wrote: ↑26 Apr 2023, 3:48pm With a smear of washing up on the tyre bead, the tyre was back on in less than 30 secs with no dramas! I had spent hours trying up to that point.

My tool kit on the bike includes a hotel shampoo bottle with some diluted washing up liquid in case it's needed for a stubborn tyre. It could also be useful for hand cleaning after some roadside maintenance.

I like the Schwalbe tyre levers https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-t ... 48924.html which can be clipped onto the rim to stop a partly-fitted tyre from jumping off.

Speaking from my experience with fitting a Rohloff hub gear on a derailleur frame I would note:
1. Single speed chains come in more than one width. I use the KMC Z1 narrow chains (because they are cheap but seem to be fairly durable) but there are also Z1 wide chains. I assume that the latter may be needed for sprockets or chainrings with wide teeth. The Nexus 7 sprockets may dictate the required chain width.
2. Here's a typical chain tensioner https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/gear-spares ... ster-black . You mount it instead of the rear derailleur and it keeps some tension in the chain so it won't jump off the cogs.
3. I'm currently using a nice stainless steel chainring sold by bikepunx on the 'bay. Before that I used a normal steel chainring (Jet brand) sold by sourcebmx. I'm sure that both offer 104 BCD versions. Both are fairly thin chainrings so that they are compatible with the open version of the Hebie Chainglider https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/chainsets/h ... -chainring . This is as good as you can get for chain protection when using a chain tensioner but note that they are made for a limited number of chainring sizes so fine-tuning of gearing ratios needs to be done with the appropriate sprocket on the hub.
4. Something else to check is the chainline required to suit the Nexus. Ideally the chainring position will match this although being a few mm out isn't the end of the world but transmission efficiency will be reduced. You will have to check what your current cranks can offer. There's either outside or inside the spider. If the cranks use a square taper bottom bracket then these are available in different lengths to provide different chainlines.

Try using a cable tie in a figure 8 shape around the seat tube and through a hole in the end of the mudguard.

Here's a photo of 4 saddles. Left to right:
1. A Nidd with the backing. Over 2000 miles but the sitbone depressions aren't forming
2. A Nidd without the backing. Over 2000 miles and the sitbone depressions are forming
3. A Nidd Open without the backing. Over 1700 miles and the sitbone depressions are well developed
4. A Gilles Berthoud Aravis that's been sat on for 4,300 miles.

The Nidds were all well fed with Neetsfoot oil (which John @ Spa Cycles said would destroy the leather - no sign of that happening!) but I suspect that they needed to be sat on by someone heavier than my 10 stone to soften them up. The Nidd Open became nearly OK. Look carefully and you'll see that the right side depression is better than the left one - I've concluded that my bone structure isn't symmetrical. At that point I decided that I would probably be better off with a slightly narrower saddle and bought the Aravis. This saddle claimed to be pre-softened but must have been baked hard again after the softening. However, the shape was more comfortable from the start but after a few hundred miles I decided that assistance was needed so I smothered it with some of the Berthoud saddle wax and put it in a warm oven to get it to soak in. That helped a lot and I've pedalled all day without significant discomfort to my unpadded backside.

Some months ago, however, I decided to seek perfection and bought the open version of the Aravis. That saddle received the saddle wax and oven treatment before being put on the bike and was close to comfortable from the outset. It's now done over 1,000 miles and is reaching the arm chair comfort stage and has developed the asymmetry I had previously noted with the Nidd Open.

I would only consider a second set of wheels if I was frequently swapping between tyres due to different usage conditions. At the moment I'm changing tyres twice a year because I want the winter tyres to have more grip than the summer tyres. Taking tyres off provides an opportunity to check their condition more thoroughly while proficiency in removing / refitting tyres makes fixing punctures less traumatic.

A more technical reason for considering different wheels is the relationship between inner rim wide and tyre width https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/what- ... it-my-bike. What is the internal width of your current rims? You might also discover that there's a noticeable reduction in comfort as smaller tyres need higher pressures. Perhaps first try a faster tyre such as the Schwalbe G-One Speed in 38mm https://www.merlincycles.com/schwalbe-g ... 29402.html?

Carlton green wrote: ↑14 Apr 2023, 1:06pm Single rings have worked well for me but double ring cranksets have their advantages too hence lack of easy supply/rarity of 165 doubles being a pain.

Spa Cycles sell 165mm cranks to fit both double and triple chanrings https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m8b0s109p0/ ... /Chainsets.

A few months ago I changed from 170mm to 165mm cranks because I had read that shorter cranks are easier on the knees (due to less joint movement) and my knees are telling me that they aren't getting any younger. I haven't noticed any difference in feel or bike speed but 5mm in 170mm is only about 3%.

I would look for a second-hand Pashley or similar with hub gears. If the gearing isn't low enough to get up the hill then it's relatively easy and inexpensive to fit a bigger sprocket to reduce the gearing ratio. A further benefit is that type of bike isn't likely to attract the bike thieves while you are in the shops.

Further thought: Trousers with zip-off legs will stop your legs overheating when cycling.

Look for walking trousers and tuck the bottoms into socks or use trouser clips. Some of the Showers Pass trousers might be suitable. They aren't cheap but are good quality. eg https://showerspass.co.uk/products/mens ... 1541191750. And the customer service is excellent. for example, if you aren't sure which size to get they'll measure their garments to check the actual sizes.

Rohan also offer a range of walking trousers and can be good value when on sale https://www.rohan.co.uk/offers/mens/trousers. I recall once reading that someone had done a LEJOG in a pair of of their stretch bags. Most of the trousers are available in more than one leg length.

If you want something lightweight then consider the Madison Roam https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/madison_ro ... s-ID_83264 . They have a bit of elastic in the hems to stop them flapping around when you are cycling.

I've concluded, after reading all this discussion, that the bike I've built (based on a Spa Cycles Elan frame) with disc brakes, 40mm tyres and a Rohloff hub gear can be classified as a gravel bike although it's primarily for use on roads which tend to be mucky in winter with rough surfacing in places all year round. It's got an open Hebie Chainglider to protect the chain from most of the muck which I have found to be better than the belt drive I had on a previous bike as belts do get mucky and need thorough cleaning at intervals to stop them making disconcerting noises.

Perhaps get another Expresso from CH White https://foldingbike.biz/epages/7665e38c ... ID=1150284? I wouldn't be surprised if they put in a bid for some of the Moore Large folding bike stock as their custom bike builds utilise stock bought after another importer went bankrupt some years ago.

Gomez77 wrote: ↑30 Mar 2023, 10:32pm

JohnR wrote: ↑30 Mar 2023, 6:24pm Consider a trip to Spa Cycles in Harrogate to try out one of their gravel bikes https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b17s23p0/ ... and-Gravel which can then be built to fit your needs.

thanks for the recommendation, but that's a little bit out of the way for me I'm afraid as I'm in Fife, Scotland.

Fair comment unless you can plan a holiday in that direction. In my case I bought a frame after correspondence by email but I had already figured out by trial and error what bike I was trying to build and the Spa Cycles Elan frame ticked the right boxes.

However, something you need to decide is whether you need a full MTB with suspension what won't ride well on roads or something that's equally happy both on road and off road although optimum for neither. There's some pertinent discussion at viewtopic.php?t=155487.

Consider a trip to Spa Cycles in Harrogate to try out one of their gravel bikes https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m1b17s23p0/ ... and-Gravel which can then be built to fit your needs.