Cycling UK Forum

If you have another wheel with a rim that the tyres fit more easily, you could fit the tyres on this, pump up hard and leave them for a couple of days then try fitting them to the Ambrosio rims.

PH wrote:

Jdsk wrote:Onewheel?
https://onewheel.com
Screenshot 2020-09-06 at 18.01.40.png

Jonathan

That looks as TM described, but there's also a version with your feet either side. I see someone on the cycle path with one frequently, I assume they're commuting on it.
Whatever our opinions on such things is, the technology and innovation can be pretty interesting. I saw someone arrive at the supermarket on a segway type thing, he folded the handle down and it followed him round the store!

If you had one of these, you could stay at home and send it out on its own to get the shopping!

De Sisti wrote:What do you intend to do about it?

Our local surgery has no useable cycle racks, there are 5 concrete blocks with slots in and a bit of ironmongery which someone has decided is ok for locking bike to by the front wheel only. I always find this ironic as surely the surgery should be encouraging active travel for fitness. I always visit the surgery by bicycle (sadly, these days my visits are becoming more frequent!) and after every visit they ask me to complete a survey questionnaire for their rating, needless to say, every time I mark them down and include a written comment criticizing the lack of adequate cycle parking, one day someone might actually read my comment!

Someone has had the bright idea of commercialising something that is free I.e. latitude and longitude, so if we all start using w3w instead they will become the next Facebook, Google etc.

What did you choose ?
Steel frame Audax type bike for long distance day rides

did you get what you wanted ?
Yes.

Did you know what you wanted ?
In terms of general functional specification yes, but technical details I discussed with the frame builder.

Is it the best bike you've ever ridden ?
Yes, for that application.

What would you do differently next time ?
Probably build the bike up myself, I bought the frame and the bike build, with parts specified by me.

Who made it ?
Kevin Sayles, Woodrup, Leeds.
Have you since changed your mind and ordered something else ?
I liked it so much that I've ordered another frame.

how has it stood up to use ?
So far so good, it's about 9 months old now.

Was it worth it ?
Given that the total cost worked out to be about the same or maybe slightly more than some off the peg bikes I have bought in the past I would say definitely as the the off the peg bikes have rarely met my exacting requirements and I've usually ended up changing something after purchase.

what was the process like ?
A lot of details to be sorted out at first, they did a bike fit and made some adjustments to my existing bike, which I then rode around for a couple of weeks to check out the fit before confirming the dimensions. Good two way discussion about the spec, which was welcome as I'm no expert when it comes to steel frames.

Any advice ?
Yes, have a clear idea what you want to use the bike for, riding conditions, terrain, speed etc. Shop around a bit and find someone who a) knows what they are talking about and b) is prepared to listen to you (one or two places I spoke to before selecting the builder seemed to have a rather patronising attitude).

DaveBeck wrote:OK, purely with my cycling instructor's helmet on, I'll answer your question.

You should either ride in the primary position, in the centre of your lane, or in the secondary position, which is to the left of your lane, somewhere around where the nearside wheel of a car will go.

The secondary position could be described as the default position, when you are happy for vehicles to overtake you.

When YOU feel that the road has become too narrow for a vehicle to pass safely, you move to the primary position, ie. "Take the lane." Examples of this include approaching a junction, or a narrow country lane. This has the added benefit of making you more visible to follow vehicles and discourages rash overtakes.

In the case of a narrow road, hold this position until YOU feel it is safe to allow following vehicles to overtake you, move back to the secondary position to allow them to pass.

It can feel daunting to do this at first, but with practice it becomes the natural way to ride as your confidence grows.

The roads are never that narrow for too long, although it may seem like it at the time, so a suitable passing place will soon come (if you know one is coming up, you could also ride a bit faster to get there if possible), and you can let the vehicle past.

Dave B

I do most of my cycling on narrow country lanes and this always works for me.

reohn2 wrote:Hope and DT Swiss hubs are noted for the loud clicking of the pawlsmin the rear hub,they sound awful IMO,I strive for quiet and smooth bike,and I can hear a bike with CF wheels coming well before I see it,not my idea of fun

Don't know where you go this information from; I've got 3 wheelsets with some lovely Hope RS4 hubs, they are whisper quiet, DT Swiss - you might have a point there though, they sound like a football fan rattle.

JohnW wrote:

flat tyre wrote:.....................I fancied steel, so I'm getting the frame built for me and building the rest of the bike myself. The costs are looking quite competitive compared with some of those on the link.

Good for you - who is the framebuilder?

Woodrup, Leeds.

mercalia wrote:

mercalia wrote:I was reviewing gravel bikes to see how they compare to my dawes 1-Down, thinking other King Alfreds Way soon to open. What I found not a single steel framed bike, most were carbon fibre and alloy. That surprised me with all the knocks that the bike would have to take

this was the list I was looking at, and the prices

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/best-gravel-bikes/


none for an olde farte like me

I'm an old fart too. I decided I "needed" a gravel bike, although I don't actually want to ride it on gravel, it's more for winter use riding with my local CTC club, so it's more of a winter road bike (although I suppose what are supposed to be roads around here are mostly gravel nowadays after a few years of austerity). Anyway, I fancied steel, so I'm getting the frame built for me and building the rest of the bike myself. The costs are looking quite competitive compared with some of those on the link.

I have suffered from headaches the day after a long ride (e.g. 70 miles plus), sometimes it feels like a hangover. What appears to work for me is the obvious one - hydration, little and often rather than quaffing bucket loads every time I feel thirsty, The other factor is that for another medical reason, I have been advised to reduce my salt intake. Since I started with both these measures I haven't had another headache after riding, maybe just coincidence but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A big more info on the frame. It hasn't built yet so I'm in correspondence with the builder to finalise the spec at the moment.

Thanks for comments and advice.

My latest project, I've decided to venture into the dark side and build a road (gravel?) bike with hydraulic disc brakes. I've built several bikes with rim brakes so I've got a reasonable experience of bike building, but this is the first disc brake. I've gone ahead and ordered the frame and now looking at other parts to purchase. Does anyone have any advice, warning of pitfalls etc etc? Don't try to persuade me not to do it as I've already committed money on the frame build! Currently planning to go with Shimano Ultegra groupset.

You might save yourself a lot of money in the long run by paying for a professional bike fit and get advice about what adjustments to make to your bike.

More important, I think, though I'm not an expert, is to find out how much protein you actually need per day. In my case it works out to less than 50g per day, the equivalent say of one chicken beast if taken in one meal. As already stated in previous posts there are other sources which will be consumed in a normal day.