Cycling UK Forum

Chester is a nice historic place to ride around/through and there are cycle routes which will take you on quiet or zero traffic cycle routes north onto the Wirral to the top end. There's a ride along the sea wall then around to the Wallasey ferry to go across the Mersey. Liverpool waterfront is quite interesting, but the modern development spoils it for me. But scenic and historic. Head north out of Liverpool and it's flat around to Southport and Preston. My only knowledge of cycling in Preston is that it's very busy and best to go straight through. I've only done bits of the route north from Preston. Blackpool is nearby and you can avoid it or enjoy it, it's up to you. But you may wonder why people go there for a holiday? From Garstang, it's easy to find quiet roads IIRC all the way to the Lakes.

I can't comment on the Manchester option as I've not ridden there, but it would be a slower and hillier route.

I can't really advise you on whether to take the train from Chester to Kendal or ride it. It depends on what you want to see. There are some historic sights on the way, but not really spectacular scenery. However as you cycle north, you'll find the mountains of the Lake District getting bigger and closer which is impressive.

If you want any more information on the Chester/Cheshire/Liverpool part of the ride, feel free to ask.

Graham

I'm in the process of giving one of the bikes it's 11 year service and I'm wondering about the longevity of the carbon forks. Is there a recommended "replace by" limit? I remember something about carbon frames being 10 years, but I've never heard of a fork life.

Having a dynamo to recharge batteries seems like too much redundancy. Particularly when it is not a smart charger and can overcharge the batteries. The big advantage of a dynamo is fit and forget and it's always there. I've got a B+M Cylo light with a Shimano 3N80 (?) hub dynamo and there is plenty of light and no noticeable drag. Getting a new wheel built with the dynamo is expensive, but I'm extremely pleased with my set up. I would suggest looking at the price options carefully. Certainly start with a bottle dynamo. Can the IXON IQ be run directly from a dynamo without any batteries installed?

From: the B+M spec sheet on the charger:
"After approximately five hours of brisk travel the 4 rechargeable NiMH batteries (2100-mAh) should be fully charged."

LANDSURFER74 wrote:.. but this is the CTC .. THERE IS A MEMBER CLOSE TO YOU THAT CAN ASSIST YOU I'M SURE..

Hi Pubrunner,
I'm about 15 miles NE of Chester and happy to help or advise as required. I've built a couple of bikes which are still running! Thankfully!
Does this forum have private messsages? I'm sure it does somewhere. PM me with any questions.

Graham

Mostly surface rust on the forks, so they could clean up, but they are chromed. It was for the girlfriend's pleasure that I was thinking of a nice green powder coating. She'll love me forever

I've been running a pair of Gatorskins on my commuter bike and have probably done about 3000 miles on them. I've always run them at about 90psi, I'm not heavy and they have only had 1 or 2 punctures. Despite other people saying they are terrible in the wet, I've never had any problems until this winter when the same downhill hairpin got the heart racing as one or other of them slid a bit. There's no signs of wear in that the casing is showing through, but they are very polished, completely smooth and they don't feel at all grippy. Do they need replacing?

Okay thanks for the information. I'm now thinking of getting the frame powder coated and a new set of forks (old ones rusty), but it's only worthwhile if the frame is in good condition. What should I check for when I've stripped it down? Cracks at headtube and bottom bracket region, stripped threads etc. Any suggestions and help much appreciated.

I was thinking that shot blasting or similar would be all that could be done with it, but don't know if I can be bothered with cost, work etc on an old frame.
I was looking at lunchtime at some cheap frames and wondering about rigid forks to get in them. Are most MTB frames built for suspension forks? If so, and I only want rigid forks, do the forks have to be extra long to give the right geometry? Or do I need a frame specifically made for rigid forks?

Hi,
I have an old alloy framed mountain bike, no suspension, which I want to renovate for road use by my girlfriend. The frame is uncoloured and silver all over. However it looks really tatty as it is covered in small white branching lines. Am I correct in thinking that the allow is protected with a lacquer and these white lines are where corrosion has got under the lacquer and discoloured the frame? Any ideas of making it look better?
Thanks

though 80 lumens lower than the current model,

Don't get too stuck on the number of lumens. What is more important is the beam pattern and how those lumens are dispersed. Some battery lights claim 800+ lumens, but if half of those are directed above the horizontal, for road use, they are being wasted. A lower output light with a more concentrated beam can be more effective than one with a higher lumen value. Lux is a measure of lumens per unit area, i.e. how much light is applied to the road and is much more of an indication of how useful the light is. This is why I like the Cyo, it puts light just on the road in a good pattern and doesn't waste it.

Went through the same decisions two years ago and settled on a Shimano DH3N80 dynamo, plus B+M Cyo front light and a B+M 4 Lite plus at the rear. It works for me. Can't fault it. The front light will illuminate the full width of a country lane and out to 20m. Easily enough light to see potholes etc at any speed on my commute. The rear light has 4 LED's and the outer 2 face outwards and back at 45degrees. As soon as I fitted it, I found that cars were giving me greater space when overtaking. I think that a lot of LED rear lights are bright rearwards and at 90degrees, but as cars approach, they get dimmer and drivers don't realise where you are.

For the best advice about cafes in the west of the area, contact the Cafe Hoppers in Wrexham, http://cafehoppers.fotopic.net/. I think they were up to 140+ cafes at the last count.

The best glue to use is McNetts Aquasure available from diving shops. It is about £6 per tube but worth it. It sticks to anything. Typical iron on seam sealing tape from DIY garment fabric suppliers, is designed to work on a PU coated surface. It won't stick to PVC. If you want to stick a fabric over the seam, then use a PU coated nylon, brush the coated side with Aquasure and place over the seam. Light pressure will help, but don't overdo it. The seams will be stiffer after application, but should be completely waterproof.

Hope that helps.

AMC wrote:Alex says she doesn't do tents - shame, will keep trying Cambrian Stores & Scottish Mountain Gear - they do look promising. I'm determined to get it done somehow!

It's not something we normally do, but if you get stuck, I'll get it done at work. We are currently working on some new expedition tents, so the girls are familiar with tents at present.

Just pm me if you wish.

Graham
North Wales

Since you are in Mid Wales, you could try Cambrian Stores in Newbridge on Wye.