Cycling UK Forum

A super gal for £270?

I'd take it if it I were looking for one.

Bear in mind several things:

1) at that time I think the super gal was just the same frameset as the gal, the replaceables were of higher quality, don't let the "super" sway you.

2) You may need to budget for an overhaul - I wouldn't trust tyres and tubes from that age! If I were to buy a bike that age I'd have it apart and rebuild it making sure everything were greased etc

3) How is the paint condition - would you be happy to ride it as it is or would you want to have it resprayed, that would easily be £70 plus the cost of transfers (available from cyclomondo on eBay)

Hope these thoughts help to direct your thinking.

Stephen

Have heard good things about the new Stronglight mudguards and as I was visiting Spa for some parts anyway I decided to buy a set for the frame I was building up for my step-son.

Yes the plastic is nice and strong, and the brackets and stays are of good quality.

However there are certain aspects with which i am not partcicularly happy:

I certainly don't like the plastic stay bolts - they cannot be tigthened to anything like as tight as the steel ones I have hitherto used, when I have to replace them then 8 steel bolts will set me back about £8 based on current eBay prices.

Unlike the SKS guards which come with all the stainless bolts needed to fit them the Strtonglight has none, adding a few quid to the cost of fitting.

The SKS guards used to have a rear lamp fitted, more recently a reflector, the Stronglights have nothing, adding yet more cost.

In retrospect I don't think I'll be buying the Stronglights again, but will be sticking with the SKS.

This is my opinion, I am not associated with either company, and only with Spa as a satisfied customer.

Hope someone finds my opinion of use.

Stephen

I had to go through CAPTCHA this morning (Tuesday 11th at about 8.05) (previously had to go through it on Friday, when I then changed my password to something more secure)

regards Stephen

You're right in observing that cantis and vee use identical mounts.

But from my experience they are not always interchangeable - it all depends on the space between the centres of the braze-ons - older frames built for cantis may have the braze-ons too close to allow vee brakes to be set up satisfactorily.

Try measuring the distance, they may be pretty similar. I suceesfully did the conversion on a mid 90s galaxy, the rear spacing wasn't a problem, the front was a little too narrow, so I got round this by juggling with the spacers found on the vee brake pad, so that the pads were closer in to the lever (alternativel further way from each other)

Tryit and see.

Stephen

Thanks again tooley

you're a pal.

Stephen

Hi all

sorry to raise such an easy one.

I know that there is an incompatability with MTB and indexed road front shifters, but I can't recall the details.

I want to use a Shimano MTB series front mech (probably deore) with Shimano's bar-end shifters, the front one of which of course is NOT indexed

I take it I can get away with this.

regards

Stephen

Are these of any help?

http://www.247cycleshop.com/shop/catalo ... d%3D326%26

I can confirm that this is a real bike shop who seem to know what they are doing - never used them as an electronic customer but several times a a real presence

regards

Stephen

Apart from presumably wishing William and Kate personal happiness, does any one actually care about the forthcoming wedding?

How many of us want to see them tie the knot privately in the local registry office rather than a mega-expensive charade even if the cost may be partly covered by his family?

Will this be the anti-climax of 2011?

regards

Stephen

Dewi

there are other words
that are obviously similar in Welsh and French, although the only one that comes to m ind is "miel" which is the french for "honey"

As to eglise, livre and fenetre and their welsh equivalents I could postulate that the words arrive via the latin, either under the Roman period or under the dominantion of the Anglo-Normans in the 11th and 12th centuries, perhaps the latinate words replaced brythonic words. But why would such everyday words be replaced, i know that windows, churches and books all existed in pre-Anglo-Norman occupied Wales, but they are not neccesarily common place objects, and as such an occupying language might replace them.

However I find it difficult to imagine as to how a common-place noun like honey might be replaced.

Co-incidently, have you ever visited Brittany? The Breton language is very close to Welsh, and I've known Welsh speakers to find themselves linguistically very comfortable there. (as well as physically so) .

regards

Stephen

Cols

I think I can help a little here:

I have a mid 1990s Galaxy, which i have ridden with both conventional drops and more recently with butterflies, and a slightly earlier Horizon (501 tubing) which has conventional drops, Diacompe 287Es and bar end shifters - so fairly similar "skeletons" set up as two quite different bikes

I like the Galaxy with drops tremendously, it allows me to use V-brakes (just watch the spacing on the front, you may need to juggle the spacers) which makes the braking far better than the Horizon's. It feels as though i could ride it all day (never exceeded 40 miles on it) however it is "sedate", I use it mostly for riding with my wife who doesn't think of herself as a cyclist. It is also my "reserve" commuter as I feel perfectly happy riding it around town in traffic and it doesn't look daft with the chain-guard I have fitted.

On a practical note if you do take the butterfly option do track down 400mm bar-grips, it is so frustrating when the shorter 200mm drift apart!

The Horizon is a different best altogether, it is my choice if I am riding either alone or with a cycling friend. It has a responsiveness that the galaxy can't touch, and it feels as though it wants to be ridden hard.

If i wanted to tour with heavy baggage, covering longer distances i think i'd choose the Galaxy with its butterflies (so many Europeans would agree). If on the other hand I wanted to tour light and fast I'd take the Horizon.

I cannot tell you which is the better as there isn't an answer, it's down to you and your riding style.

If you can find an excuse to come to York and can ride a 23 1/2" frame drop me a pm and you are welcome to compare them

regards

Stephen

It is important to remember that any living language is an evolving state of flux.

We do not speak the same language as was spoken by our great grand-parents let alone by Shakespeare, and yet we all speak (spoke) English.

American-English initially developed in partial isolation from British-English and so it is to be expected that regional variations would exist.

Ameican preserves some older English words and phrases that have become extinct in British use.

Equally American had to develop new words to name and describe new things that were encountered on the new continent.

As to spelling we must all admit that British English is not particularly systematic. The loss of the "u" in color/labor is actually more true to the Latin roots of the words.

The ise/ize ebate is an interesting one: I had always assumed that the "ize" was the American version, however the Oxford University Press in their Anglicized version of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible use "ize". Most experts would hold that both versions are equally correct.

Ab easy to read, and generally accurate coverage of the linguistc growth of American English is Bill Bryson's "Made in America"

I've been a long term customer of Cycle Heaven in York, having bought from them my touring bike, commuting bike, had wheels built, bought panniers etc etc and have always found them to be helpful, knowledgeable and skilled people.

Today i have been impressed by something found in the basement!

My touring bike uses Shimano Nexus 7 with a 33t chainring, I needed a new chainguard and a search for them on the internet made me fear the worse.

A quick visit to CH today and an explanation resulted in a young member of staff (afraid I don't know his name) nipping down to the cellar to emerge with a box of assorted chainguards, with incredibly an almost exact match for the one I had broken.

Anyone in the York area who doesn't know CH ought to consider using them.

Stephen

roverhead

I have a set of shimano Deore cantilevers taken from a c1991 Dawes (Lady) Galaxy (I don't think there were many years of cantis on Galaxies before this)

They are not new, but they have been cleaned - they would at least be authentic.

I could let you have them for a "consideration" - best to pm me if you want them

Stephen

james

this cou;d also be read as a pashley as a girlfriend

A dawes yes - but never a pashley

A local commentator to confirm that the Solar system model is still in existance.

It looked to me last time I used a short section as though the models and the sun had all been repainted.

The Sun model is just outside Bishopthorpe, and the route takes you under the A64, this bridge has become a popular centre for York's Urban Artists and there is often some very good quality spray-art on display, however there can be a lot of broken glass as well.

Most of the path is tarmac, but beware the tree roots as previously mentioned, and the remainder is quality sone chipping.

The best place to park a car would either be in Bishopthorpe or on Sim Balk Lane, it is also very near to York's Tadcaster Rd Tesco. Equally you could park in Selby and ride in towards the sun.

Access to the cycle route from York station is also easy.

If you are thinking of riding the route drop me a PM and I can help with details about access etc.

Stephen