Search found 89 matches

by dragonrider
4 Sep 2017, 10:43pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: downgrading with age.
Replies: 82
Views: 4839

Re: downgrading with age.

fredN4 wrote:I try to upgrade with age. The lighter the better. pick up most of my stuff on Troc-Velo. Rode up le Ventoux on my second-hand Time Vxrs last Sunday. Downgrade and so will your brain.


Great - very much after my own heart. At 72 I love technological advances, the challenge of following the latest idea is fascinating and I look forward to trying and buying the latest products. Talking of getting old makes people start thinking in old ways. 80 is the new 50!
by dragonrider
4 Sep 2017, 10:10pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Comfort for the elderly
Replies: 18
Views: 2042

Re: Comfort for the elderly

Just couldn't resist a quick response on this - on two points.

I have tried loads of saddles over the years. At one stage I had a shelf with a line of saddles ranging from uncomfortable to excruciating. Guess what filled the excruciating spot, a Brooks leather saddle. Of course Brooks leather saddles are reckoned by many to be the most comfortable but all that proves is that we are all very different. At three score years plus twelve I ride on a rather modern Specialized Avatar and find it the most comfortable saddle I have ever suffered while riding more than a hundred miles a week, and suffer you do. But the best treatment is more cycling. Your bum will get used to it.

On the age thing never ever think you are old. At all costs avoid saying "it will see me out". Always look for something new and interesting to expend your energy on be it a new bike (thanks 531colin for designing that lovely Spa Elan), or try parkrun. On parkrun you will have a chance of doing well in your age category because there are less older folks prepared to get out there and try it. They have no idea what they are missing.
by dragonrider
30 May 2017, 7:09pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: When I were a lad...
Replies: 36
Views: 5807

Re: When I were a lad...

tatanab wrote:Calcium Carbide to be exact. My local LBS had it in stock right into the 1970s, by which time it must have been pretty aged.

Thanks for that - calcium carbide, and now that I know I have just googled it. You can buy it by the sackful on Amazon. But best not leave it out in the rain!
by dragonrider
30 May 2017, 5:07pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: When I were a lad...
Replies: 36
Views: 5807

Re: When I were a lad...

I diversion from the main discussion on gears but you may enjoy the following.

My dad Cycled up, what seemed to me as little un, a cliff path to the colliery in the South Wales valleys. His bike was a heavy old Raleigh with the top luxury 3 speed SA gears. Don't know if it was that b...y bike, the hard life of a blacksmith, or the 50 woodbines a day that killed him at 64!

But I have always struggled to remember the bike lights he used. I recall being fascinated by them but cannot recall the name of the chemicals or system. My best recollection is some form of crystal with water dropped on it that gave off a flammable gas. That was ignited to give a flame in a reflector - if you like it was an early portable gas lamp. It all sounds pretty dangerous by today's standards and I am sure he dumped them for EverReady batteries as soon as they were commonly available. Does anyone know what I am describing?
by dragonrider
8 May 2017, 4:51am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gear cable frame adjusters both snapped!
Replies: 13
Views: 3716

Re: Gear cable frame adjusters both snapped!

If you can still fit cables in but they won't adjust buy some in-line adjusters.
by dragonrider
30 Apr 2017, 8:18pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Stockpiling components for the future – which strategies make sense?
Replies: 99
Views: 4507

Re: Stockpiling components for the future – which strategies make sense?

Resist the temptation to hoard! In my 60years of cycling, repairing and bodging time and time again I have reached the point of "I really must clear this junk". Bikes move on and get better and better. If you hoard all those bits you will never enjoy the delights of new and great bike designs. Just keep enough to keep your current bike(s) in reasonable repair. Chuck everything else and keep your eye out for the next machine.
by dragonrider
30 Apr 2017, 7:51pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Vittoria Hypers (again)
Replies: 435
Views: 43013

Re: Vittoria Hypers (again)

Rich_Clements wrote:
MikeF wrote:
RickH wrote:Planet X (never the same prices two days running! :wink: )

I may buy a few more 38s if/when the prices drop again!
Don't wait too long. Vittoria have discontinued them according to their website.

Damn,that's shame :(

Once stocks have depleted, what next ? Schwalbe Marathon Supreme's ??


I said this a lot earlier in this string but no-one seemed interested, perhaps because there seems to be a bit of resistance on this forum to the big manufacturers, but here goes again. Specialized own brand tyres apparently are made by Vittoria. I have used the All Conditions Armadillo folding tyre on several bikes for the last 6 years and don't have a bad word to say about them. The wet grip is superb and rolling resistance is low as they have dual compound rubber facings on shoulders and the centre. And if your club has a deal with the local Specialized shop, as mine has, I get 10% off marked price.
by dragonrider
25 Apr 2017, 5:24pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Lubing gear cables in install?
Replies: 34
Views: 2121

Re: Lubing gear cables in install?

After many years of grease I am now using a Silicone spray by spraying directly into the outer before inserting the inner. After 12 months it is lasting well and seems to give low friction without the hardening that you get with grease. Also it doesn't seem to grab dirt so much.
by dragonrider
25 Apr 2017, 5:18pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: First road bike
Replies: 15
Views: 1019

Re: First road bike

The original post was about getting a good quality lightweight endurance/sportive bike. Some of the posts are talking about really sharp and responsive bikes. Great for 50 mile blasts but all day in the saddle, no thanks. The Specialized Roubaix, the Trek Domane and the Canondale Synapse were specifically designed for stability and good riding qualities :) Cube, Canyon, Ribble are a different kettle of fish altogether, much more sporty and sharp to ride......ouch! :x
by dragonrider
24 Apr 2017, 12:30pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: First road bike
Replies: 15
Views: 1019

Re: First road bike

The Specialized Roubaix, the Trek Domane, and the Canondale Synapse are all bikes friends own or have owned and I don't think you will go far wrong with any of those. I have owned a Roubaix for 6 years now and use it most of the summer months. Initially I had doubts about spending that sort of money but it is probably the Best Buy I have ever made in bikes. I now have a creaky knee so have modified the chain set to a triple to ease the hills. Comfort and ride quality are excellent and enjoying 100 miles in a day was no problem in the early years before the knee problem. I am tempted to buy another now that discs are becoming more popular, but I suppose that would mean starting to modify the gearing again.

Anyway, enjoy your research. Making the decision on which bike to buy is almost as much fun as riding the bike.
by dragonrider
11 Feb 2017, 2:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work
Replies: 22
Views: 3977

Re: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work

Further thoughts! None of the above addresses the phenomenal rate of pad wear on the original pads. If I recall everything was ok for a couple of months with just about ok brake performance but one notoriously wet ride with a couple of long descents pretty well brought the levers up to the bars. The pads were shot and if there was any automatic adjustment it was beaten by the rate of pad wear. I think that they realised they had poor brake performance so fitted very soft pads to compensate.

After I replaced the pads the story went downhill, if you will excuse the pun. Too much of my life went into trying to fix these.

I conclude an over-complex design, and the design and development team got dazzled by their bright idea. Sometimes it is difficult to say forget all this development work we have invested in and ditch the project - been there myself!
by dragonrider
11 Feb 2017, 1:15pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work
Replies: 22
Views: 3977

Re: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work

Sorry for the delay in getting back on this. My brake levers are Shimano 105s about two years old, operating a triple x 10 speed, and they are the hidden cable tape I.e. taped to the bars. I can't find the model type number. I also confirm they were the ones used unsuccessfully with the TRP-HY brakes and the same ones now working perfectly with the BB7s.
by dragonrider
7 Feb 2017, 10:46pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work
Replies: 22
Views: 3977

Re: How to get a TRP Hy/Rd caliper to work

These brakes do generate a lot of correspondence and you may recall my earlier exchanges, including sending my old faulty TRP-HY caliper to Brucey. He subsequently gave a good write up on his results, which was not at all comforting. I summarise here but in the end I ditched them and fitted BB7s. It was the best days work I ever did!

I went from poor brake power, constant adjustment and reliability problems to now having confidence inspiring smooth braking that hardly ever needs adjusting. So my advice is dump them. My experience, and judging by what others are saying, you will spend hours and hours on TRP-HYs and they will never be really working well. The BB7 is simple and robust and is all you ever need for wet winter descents.
by dragonrider
21 Jan 2017, 8:09pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Rear Mudflap - Any Use?
Replies: 29
Views: 2628

Re: Rear Mudflap - Any Use?

I have found that tandems are the worst bikes, particularly for spraying the stoker's feet. The air flow from the front tyre seems to drag the spray back in after it gets splashed outwards. John at JD Tandems suggested a few years ago making large mud flaps from builders damp proof membrane. It works a treat, stiff enough not to flap about, and stable enough to stay in place at speed. All our bikes with mudguards, sadly now all solos, have these mud flaps front and back. Why all solos you ask? Well I find the inertia of firing up a tandem from low speeds makes my dodgy knee flare up - but that is another problem.
by dragonrider
23 Dec 2016, 4:11pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Aluminium rivetets for mudguards
Replies: 21
Views: 2608

Re: Aluminium rivetets for mudguards

Ray wrote:
fausto99 wrote:Cable ties, eh. Never thought of that. Very clever and very effective, no doubt about it. Couldn't do it myself except in an emergency though; far too ugly in my eyes :shock: :lol:


I use just one cable tie, looping it over the brake bolt just in front of the fork crown. You have to look hard to see it at all. Andrew's 'belt & braces' method would probably survive a very tough life, but I've always found one to be enough. For years I've carried spare cable ties, but never had one break in situ.


Yep - I always carry a few cable ties and find that my stock keeps running low, but I never use them on my bike. That must say something about the cycling company I keep - 531Colin excluded from that remark of course!