"Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

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mattheus
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by mattheus »

Cugel wrote: 13 Jan 2023, 1:50pm I would classify those data-parsing pleasures as something other than cycling. After all, you can do it without any cycling at all. I suppose its the data from their personal cycling that they're most fond off, though.

But what would life be like if we collected such data about every activity we undertake? How many times did I go to the netty and how much micturation did I emit on each visit, with the average for the day and the week? And so forth. After all, such data might be much more important than how many miles I did on the bike this week, at what speed. The netty data might reveal all sorts of impending, er, issues.
Isn't that what those new wrist-watch things - Fitbits? - do?
Jdsk
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Jdsk »

Some interesting comments on tools upthread.

When people start doing their own bike maintenance there's often a moment when I'd like to be able to recommend a basic tool kit. Preferably in a decent case for people who don't have a shed or garage or workshop and need to be able to put everything away. Similar kits appear at Aldi and LIDL and the chain bike stores.

Any "cheap but good" recommendations?

Jonathan
zenitb
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by zenitb »

Good point Jonathan... doing your own maintenance generates huge savings and definitely qualifies as cheap but good. I'll kick off with the Decathlon set (although someone is sure to say you can do everything with a multitool!!).

Now I don't have this set..so am not endorsing ..but the other (individual) decathlon tools I have are solid.
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Anything "cheaper or gooder"???
Anything "cheaper or gooder"???
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Cugel
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Cugel »

mattheus wrote: 13 Jan 2023, 2:14pm
Cugel wrote: 13 Jan 2023, 1:50pm I would classify those data-parsing pleasures as something other than cycling. After all, you can do it without any cycling at all. I suppose its the data from their personal cycling that they're most fond off, though.

But what would life be like if we collected such data about every activity we undertake? How many times did I go to the netty and how much micturation did I emit on each visit, with the average for the day and the week? And so forth. After all, such data might be much more important than how many miles I did on the bike this week, at what speed. The netty data might reveal all sorts of impending, er, issues.
Isn't that what those new wrist-watch things - Fitbits? - do?
They might! Those gizmos seem to measure a lot about the wearer, passing it all to who-knows-who so that they can sell you this and deny you that.

The daughter got one and has become obsessed with her 10,000 steps a day, worrying needlessly when they aren't achieved. Who knows what other worries and strains (!) will be induced by taking notice of the evil thing measuring and mocking your condition every second of the day & night?

It'll be implants soon, perhaps in the brainbox. "They" will know know not just anyfink you do but everyfink wot you think. They do now, a bit, from forum post contents amongst our other inputs to the interwebbery net gradually being hauled in by the fishers of men (and women, you betcha).

The Panopticon is already here and the rascals made us pay for the monitor-tech ourselves. How daft can we get?

Cugel, AKA cipher 940386218, grade 3 consumer type also prone to ideological come-ons variety 79Q.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
Jdsk
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Jdsk »

zenitb wrote: 13 Jan 2023, 4:07pm Good point Jonathan... doing your own maintenance generates huge savings and definitely qualifies as cheap but good. I'll kick off with the Decathlon set (although someone is sure to say you can do everything with a multitool!!).

Now I don't have this set..so am not endorsing ..but the other (individual) decathlon tools I have are solid.
And a set from Aldi, £24.99:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-toolset/p/807419510731800

and from Lifeline, £25:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-bike- ... t-18-piece

Images below in order.

Jonathan

Image

Image
wirral_cyclist
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by wirral_cyclist »

Jdsk wrote: 13 Jan 2023, 5:59pm And a set from Aldi, £24.99:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/bike-toolset/p/807419510731800

and from Lifeline, £25:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-bike- ... t-18-piece

Images below in order. <Snipped>

Jonathan
I have an Aldi set from <mumble> years ago and still use it, nothing I still have is broken, indeed not even worn as far as I can tell. Some of my lost bits may have been un-returned loaners skimmed from abuse (likely!) so therefore had little real use, and so could still be pristine in a tool friendly garage 😱. However the crank puller, freewheel tool and whip have been used by me and many, many others, possibly ham-fisted others at that...
slowster
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by slowster »

I have a pair of the cone spanners shown in both the Aldi and Lifeline kits above. They are poor quality and deformed when used on cones that were very tight. The likes of Aldi, Wiggle and Decathlon are not tool manufacturers, and their own brand tools are presumably made by a number of contract manufacturers.Those manufacturers can and likely will change from time to time, and the quality specification and QC may also change.

Moreover, with the likes of Lidl and Aldi, any of their cycling products one year may be an excellent bargain, but next year that particular product might be made by a different contract manufacturer to a different specification, and be poor value.

I think that especially with tools any recommendations should be based on personal experience/knowledge.

Getting back to the OP:

1. Cheap ahead stems can be better than very expensive stems. Cheaper stems tend not to have the stem manufactured in a way to minimise weight, e.g. with visible cut outs around the steerer clamp section and a larger cut out inside the clamp section.

On an expensive lightweight stem those cut outs may not significantly affect the stem's strength, but they are a bad choice if the steerer is carbon. Large cut outs reduce the clamping surface area, concentrating the clamping force onto a very small part of the steerer, increasing the risk of damage to an expensive and safety critical part.

For example, the central cut out of the £10 Brand X stem below is much smaller than found on many expensive stems.

Image
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/brand-x-mtb-stem

Raoul Luescher covered this issue at length and in detail in a video here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWn3JzTp4T4&t=842s

2. Cut up old inner tube sections are excellent for protecting the frame and parts from damage, e.g. as a chainstay protector or wrapped around wherever a bag or other luggage is resting against the frame.

3. I've made tool bottles by cutting up old water bottles to create a top section which slides over the bottom section.

4. Brucey and others recommended Waxoyl diluted with white spirit for treating the interior of steel frames to resist corrosion - viewtopic.php?p=1575582#p1575582. The alternative proprietary products cost more and are not so readily available, e.g. Problem Solvers' Framesaver.

5. Brucey's DIY spoke nipple drivers - viewtopic.php?t=117817
Nearholmer
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Nearholmer »

Waxoyl diluted with white spirit for treating the interior of steel frames to resist corrosion
I waxoyled inside and out the frame of a bike that I bought new in 1991, no dilution, just warming the stuff up well before spraying it, and it was astonishingly effective. Not a hint of corrosion 25 yeas later, despite long periods outside in the rain. It did look terrible on the exterior, always looked dirty, but that was part of the plan, because I commuted to the station using the bike and I wanted it to look old from new, to make it less attractive to thieves.
Bice
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Bice »

slowster wrote: 10 Jan 2023, 8:59pm One of Brucey's recommendations for a non-cycling brand lubricant: Carlube 100+ aerosol semi-fluid grease for lubricating the internals of STI shifters and the like. viewtopic.php?p=1159799#p1159799.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carlube-100-Mu ... 07SQG516H/

Also on the subject of lubrication, another tip which I have picked up from the forum is using a cheap plastic syringe with blunt needle for getting grease into difficult to access components, e.g. the drive side bearings of Shimano dynamo hubs - viewtopic.php?p=770704#p770704..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... e&_sacat=0
Absolutely agree with syringe and blunt needle for the most precise grease application (like shifters). Loads of uses and a bargain at £3.95 for 5. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303987745710 ... R8bo4ou2YQ
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Van Nicholas Yukon titanium 50/34 10sp
Lazzaretti steel 1996 10sp 48/34
Trek 1.7 10sp 3x 2010;
Ciocc steel 1984 50/34x7
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Scott Scale carbon MTB 27.5 inch
PH
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by PH »

I've never seen the value in those complete tool kits, has anyone ever had one and used all the tools? Or have one and not need anything else? In the examples above I'd use no more than half the tools, some of those I'd want with me and not in the case and I'd want a longer chain whip so the case would need to be twice the size! All my bike tools fit easily into one of those cheap plastic tool trays, I don't know what the current price is, mine has lasted 20 years.
On the subject of workshop stuff, office pedestal draws make a good cheap tool and spares cabinet, often to be had for under a tenner, get one with a steel frame and it'll be solid enough to bolt a vice to. Or get one with good castors (With brakes) and it doubles as a seat for jobs where it's useful to be sat next to the bike stand.
Bice
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Bice »

I agree with buying old steel frames (my best bike frame is a pre-single speed fad, Italian high quality frame NOS and that I bought in Rome for euro 157 (much more these days, sadly); doing your own maintenance including wheel building; avoiding all data surveillance devices and apps in favour of wired Cateye Velo 9 odometer (approx £20) and inputting ride data into a spread sheet.

Re old computers, I am an open source enthusiast, use Linux Mint and run a business. My computer is not old, but self-assembled and cost a fraction of a replacement Apple (16gb ram; 500gb SSD; 2tb hard drive). I am in no way a serious geek. (Never buy a new computer, IMO: my laptop cost £230 (Lenovo ThinkPad T450) and works incredibly reliably (8gb ram; replaced 125gb SSD with 550gb SSD). That's the right cost, given second hand business laptops can be found everywhere. Obviously, avoid Microsoft, and only use it where someone else is paying to maintain the machines.

My new Android Pixel 8 phone is data mining the ass out me, but Google software is brilliant (unlike Apple's), and these phones can be reflashed to use an open source operating system and, as a result, last for years. Open source mapping is really good, but I also pay for OS maps.

If commuting, go for cheap nice quality second hand bike that has less chance of being nicked. I have been caught out here, in fact, as my 1980s commuter has acquired an unfortunate retro desirability, so I lock it with more care these days.
Daily: Carlton Courette 1982 mixte 42, 32, 22 x7
Van Nicholas Yukon titanium 50/34 10sp
Lazzaretti steel 1996 10sp 48/34
Trek 1.7 10sp 3x 2010;
Ciocc steel 1984 50/34x7
Marin Bolinas Ridge MTB c1995, 7x42, 34, 24
Scott Scale carbon MTB 27.5 inch
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Cugel
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Cugel »

PH wrote: 14 Jan 2023, 3:09pm I've never seen the value in those complete tool kits, has anyone ever had one and used all the tools? Or have one and not need anything else? In the examples above I'd use no more than half the tools, some of those I'd want with me and not in the case and I'd want a longer chain whip so the case would need to be twice the size! All my bike tools fit easily into one of those cheap plastic tool trays, I don't know what the current price is, mine has lasted 20 years.
On the subject of workshop stuff, office pedestal draws make a good cheap tool and spares cabinet, often to be had for under a tenner, get one with a steel frame and it'll be solid enough to bolt a vice to. Or get one with good castors (With brakes) and it doubles as a seat for jobs where it's useful to be sat next to the bike stand.
Buying a-one o' them cheaper toolsets can be a lottery. Some contain more actually useful tools than others. Some contain tools that aren't all made of cheese. Some are a collection TSOs (tool shaped objects).

Long, long ago I bought a case of bike tools costing £30. It had many actually usable tools, including a chain maker/breaker, a wire cutter and the usual bike-specific ring spanners for things like BBs and cassettes. It did have four cheese cone spanners and some tools for older style fittings I no longer had. But, all in all, it got used a lot albeit gradually enhanced with the missing tools I needed for this and that.

Some 15-18 years later (I can't remember exactly when I bought this toolset) the tools with the smaller, more finicky, parts have all snapped or collapsed - the chain maker/breaker, the wire cutters, the tyre levers ....... The chain whip, cassette remover and BB ring spanner (also now fitting centre-lock disc brake retaining rings) are still OK.

But I know two lads who have the identical toolset, bought on my recommendation, who have not been so lucky, The wire cutters were never sharp enough, the chain maker/breaker snapped after a couple of uses, etc.. So I would no longer recommend such kits, especially since (looking at the pics) today's offerings seem to contain less, of lesser quality; and are a greater price.

Cugel
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
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CJ
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by CJ »

Especially useful at this time of year, for a very thin but nontheless effective layer of insulation under your usual legwear (and over padded under-shorts): merino wool tights for only a tenner from M&S. Never mind that they're 'womens', nobody's going to know! But M-sized men will want size L to be sure they're long enough. Since these have closed ends they also help to keep your feet cosy and can't ride up to leave cold ankles.
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P.S. I find these are essential under my Endura stretch Gore-Tex waterproof tights (expensive, however I will pay serious money when necessary), which are wonderfully waterproof but chilly against the skin.
P.P.S. As for under-shorts: I use old skinshorts in which the pad is still good but the Lycra's gone transparent or even worn into holes - as I already said, nobody's going to know!
Chris Juden
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thirdcrank
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by thirdcrank »

As my late mother would have said "What if you have an accident?"
:wink:
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Cugel
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Re: "Cheap but good" - feature for Cycle magazine

Post by Cugel »

CJ wrote: 15 Jan 2023, 12:05pm
P.P.S. As for under-shorts: I use old skinshorts in which the pad is still good but the Lycra's gone transparent or even worn into holes - as I already said, nobody's going to know!
If you was me mam, or any of her contemporaries, you would know that substandard underwear is a big no-no. Why is this? Well, when you fall off, get run over or go over a cliff, you'll eventually be in a hospital or morgue, where (me mam and her friends were convinced) whole phalanxes of nurses, doctors, anatomists, hospital porters and pathologists would tut, sneer and be generally unpleasant about the state of your underdogs or knicks. You'd never live it down!

More to the point, neither would your mam. :-)

Cugel, with panties pristine at all times.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
John Maynard Keynes
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