Cycling UK Forum

foxychick wrote:No phone number for contact details only an email address, something just not right with this to be honest and the spelling mistakes speak volumes.

That's not a concern at all. I've sold plenty of stuff on gumtree and I've never given away my phone number.

Also, even when someone puts their phone number I only ever get in touch with them via email. When someone instead puts ONLY their phone number, I don't buy from them at all.

Thanks.

Doesn't seem dodgy. Like, usually if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This one seems legit, meaning, accordingly priced (if I had a hot bike advertised on gumtree, I'd price it on the lower end to get rid of it pronto).

Anyways, it's this one: https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/road ... 1399653694

Only thing I can see from the few photos is that wee dent/scratch (or just dirt...who know knows) above the cassette in photo 2.

Hi

I've seen a bike I like on gumtree. Good price, good specs, one of those bikes I've had in my bucket list for some time.

I'm thinking about taking the car and go check it out.

What checks should I do on the bike? FYI, it's a carbon framed bike

531colin wrote:Insufficient information. Tell us your inside leg measurement. At the moment, all we have is.....
You...height 71" leg "X"
She...height 66" leg X-2
I'm going to take a guess; inside leg is usually around half height, so we get.....
you ...height 71" leg 35.5" so "body/head" 35.5"
She ...height 66" leg 33.5 (yours less 2") so "body/head" 32.5"

Close.

I'm 5'11 with 33" inside leg
She's 5'6 with 32" inside leg

Cheers for the links about geometry, really appreciated

Paulatic wrote:

Scottish.cyclist.lad wrote:New stem...new saddle...sounds like a lot of effort.

I'll just buy her an appropriately sized bike.

You don’t know what size 'appropriate' is though do you?

Yes, I kinda know what size is appropriate. It's just not what the evans guy told me

He did give me one useful piece of advice though: he said I should go and buy from a local bike shop because they're less strict on covid rules so they would surely let my partner try a bike for size

New stem...new saddle...sounds like a lot of effort.

I'll just buy her an appropriately sized bike.

531colin wrote:

Scottish.cyclist.lad wrote:...........Although 1 thing that puzzled me was the guy advised my missus to get a bike in medium size (she's 5'6), which is the same size I use and I'm 5'11. Bah.....

That might not be as silly as it at first sounds. Its possible that the bigger size (compared to the smaller) will allow higher handlebars without significantly increasing reach....as in my post on the first page of this thread, where a "size up" bike can get the bars 20mm higher with the frame reach being only 3mm longer

I assume if that was the case then I could pass on my bike to the missus and get a new bike myself (win win)

I'll have her sit on my medium sized frame bike (which is a gravel bike so relaxed geometry) and play around with saddle (up/down and back/forth). Given she's 5 inches shorter but her inside leg is only 2 inches shorter than mine, I guess the tricky bit is going to find a position where she can actually reach the handlebars and hoods

CHead2 wrote:wanting an upgrade a bike weight of ideally 9kg, shimano 105 groupset (or similar) and disc brakes. That's about the most I can afford (£1500-£2000).

have you identified any potential bikes that fit the bill?

if you can afford it, buy it.

better to have and not need than need but not have

rmurphy195 wrote:With all the best intentions behind the advice given on this thread, the best - and IMHO the only way - is to visit a bike shop and sit on the bike.

This is good advice. HAVING SAID THAT, I'm finding very difficult at the moment.

2 weekends ago I went to my local evans cycles (mainly because it's 10 minutes away, but I won't ever buy from them) with the missus. I want to get her a road bike for her birthday, so given it's a pretty big shop with plenty bikes in stock, I thought we'd go there and ask the guys if she could sit on a few bikes to check what size would suit her.

The answer was a resounding NO. Due to covid, they don't let you go for test rides, they don't let you sit on the bike. All the guy suggested was to check the size charts and buy online so you can return the bike if it doesn't fit. I don't know, I found the guys at evans even less helpful than usual, then I read the news about people getting axed and I thought ok so that's why, they're gonna get the boot so they don't care, fair enough

Although 1 thing that puzzled me was the guy advised my missus to get a bike in medium size (she's 5'6), which is the same size I use and I'm 5'11. Bah.....

After reading a recent thread, I started thinking about what I would do if I had to choose between aluminium and carbon. Actually, it's going to be something I will NEED to think about very soon as I'll be buying a new bike in the next...mmm...maybe 3 months.

I stumbled upon the Cannondale website. Great looking bikes, and in their race bikes section 2 bikes caught my eye, at a very similar price point:

- Supersix evo, carbon frame, disc brakes and shimano 105. £2750
- CAAD13, aluminium frame, disc brakes and shimano ultegra. £3000

Very similar bikes, same racey geometry, probably very similar weight too (or negligible difference). Very similar price. What would you guys do? What appeals to you more...frame material or componentry?

There are arguments for both sides: lots of people love aluminium and basically say that a well engineered aluminium frame performs just as well as a mid range carbon frame (very interesting what the guy from bowman cycles say). But then I also remember seeing a GCN video where they did a blind test of 105 VS dura ace and it was very difficult to tell which groupset was being used.

I personally would tend to go with aluminium, but mainly because I don't like the snobbery of all the "carbon or nothing" cyclists

you never know. maybe they have, but without logging in.

emt15 wrote:I am looking to buy a Cannondale CAAD13 or Specialized Tarmac SL6 bike. Their specs are nearly identical so has anyone got an opinion on either of the brands?

if the specs are nearly identical then buy the cheaper one.

Jamesh wrote:I run a 36t with a deore rear mech works fine for me.

Cheers James

Actually, got a newbie question about gears ratios.

Technically speaking I'm a complete newbie so forgive me if the question is silly. So, on the various youtube videos I've seen where they talk about gearing ratios, many times people highlight the importance of having a 1:1 ratio and how great it is to have it for climbing. My question is: are all 1:1 ratios equally easy to use? Like, 32:32 and 40:40....same ease because the ratios are the same?

Worst ride was in January, the first or second ride of 2021.

Went out for a 60km ride in East Lothian, just to get the legs spinning after a very food heavy Christmas break. It was pretty cold, around 2 degrees Celsius. On my way back I got a puncture in a small town, couldn't even get the tyre off my fingers were so frozen cold. The missus was away so couldn't come to pick me up. Had to go home in a taxi, which costed me 44 quid.

Converted my bike to tubeless the next week.