Updating an old(ish)bike

[MrBen]

Hi,

New to the CTC forums, and only just getting back in to cycling after not doing much at all for years! The other half and I even cycled round Rutland Water last week after hiring some bikes there - I'm sure its gotten bigger since I last cycled it as a kid!

I'm looking for a bit of advice on what to do with my current bike.

I've got a Claud Butler Stone River (2005) - this one in fact: http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/CORP/cb05/stoneriver.html - and I'm looking to make it a bit more suited to the sort of riding I'm likely to be doing which is probably going to be mainly canal tow paths, round the local reservoir, and a bit on the road to get to them. After a 7 mile jaunt up and down the canal I've gone an bought a new saddle which should make it more comfy! I'm thinking that some slicker tyres would be a good idea, but I'm not sure how slick I should go if I still want to use the tow paths. My forks are also pretty rubbish - if you hop off a curb they make a horrible clunking noise so I think they are knackered too. I'd happily replace them with ridged forks to save weight or is there a cheap way to pick up some reasonable suspension forks? Is it worth picking up some off eBay or the like? Finally - I'd like to see if I can give me self a slightly more upright riding position - I'm I right in thinking that if I find a pair of forks with a longer steerer tube I will do this?

Oh, and obviously I'd like to do all this for as little cash as possible! Any advice on any of that much appreciated.


Sorry for the rambling - it fair to late to be on the computer! Just getting excited by the prospect of cycling again I'll be back for more too as the girlfriend wants a Pashley now!

[Tonyf33]

You could go for semi slicks, ones with a little tread round the sides for grip if you are turning on loose surfaces but little or no tread down the centre for road work. These are about the cheapest branded tyres in this category http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-KENDA-KROSS-PLU ... 3cb0033cfb

The forks you should lock down so they have as little travel as possible, the clonking could actually be a loose headset in any case so check that also. As you know suspension forks just absorb energy/effort so reducing the amount of travel will reduce this. Replacing them with rigid forks will be the most expensive aspect of what you want to do unless you are able to DIY and find a second hand set of forks.

As for adopting a more upright position a change of forks with a longer steerer would do that but you will need to add an awful lot of spacers to raise the stem/bars up sufficiently. To be honest the easiest way is to buy a shorter stem that has a steeper angle or an adjustable one like this one which is dirt cheap and means you can play about with it until you get the correct angle for you.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADJUSTABLE-RISE-A ... 2eafaadfbf
Hope that helps

[dewi1]

Tyres. I would go for something like a Schwalbe Marathon in between 32 and 38 mm width; they are much slicker than the knobbly tyres you have, but alos have good puncture protection. Great on road and light offroad use like canal towpaths.

I also had a Claud Butler with susp forks (Voyager) and as you say they do clunk when you jump off kerbs - this is normal I'm afraid, there is no damping of the springs at all. I found forks a real pain, partially for this reason, but also as they added weight, they seemed to add resistance, and I disliked the riding position. I changed it for an old Claud Butler Odysey that I love - but the newer models of this now have forks as well.

I doubt if you can do much about the forks really, I guess you could either change the tyres & lock the forks, or change the whole bike. As you are new to cycling, I would live with the bike for a while, get some advice, and then buy another one, rushing in and buying a new bike now might mean you buy somehting that you later regret. So much of the buying decision is down to personal preference that comes from experience.

[cycle carnot]

Hi,

Some good advice above IMHO on changing the stem for your riding position, locking the forks if you can, and seeing how it goes before you fork (sorry) out on lots of other bits.

Tyres - I fitted these:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Schwa ... 360042609/
to my MTB for mixed road / path / firebreak off road use and they are OK. Solid line down the centre which makes them much quieter on road and gives excellent front braking compared to the older knobblies I had. Not as good as the knobblies on really tough offroad conditions of course.

I've used the Schwalbe Marathons on another bike and they are fine tyres for road and light off road use, as has been said.

HTH.

CC

[Tonyf33]

Tyres. I would go for something like a Schwalbe Marathon in between 32 and 38 mm width; they are much slicker than the knobbly tyres you have, but alos have good puncture protection. Great on road and light offroad use like canal towpaths.

I also had a Claud Butler with susp forks (Voyager) and as you say they do clunk when you jump off kerbs - this is normal I'm afraid, there is no damping of the springs at all. I found forks a real pain, partially for this reason, but also as they added weight, they seemed to add resistance, and I disliked the riding position. I changed it for an old Claud Butler Odysey that I love - but the newer models of this now have forks as well.

I doubt if you can do much about the forks really, I guess you could either change the tyres & lock the forks, or change the whole bike. As you are new to cycling, I would live with the bike for a while, get some advice, and then buy another one, rushing in and buying a new bike now might mean you buy somehting that you later regret. So much of the buying decision is down to personal preference that comes from experience.

Firstly, 26" Marathons narrowest width is a 35mm, trying to find some in the UK in that size is very hard, finding them cheap (one of the OP's main stipulations) is even harder.
A standard Marathon can be had for £14 each from SJS http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp? ... rc=froogle but these are 47's the same as the Kenda tyre but are more expensive yet both offer the same in terms of puncture protection. Only the Marathon plus is better & then you are spending £40+ for a pair of tyres more than double the Kenda price for not much gain given the type of riding done IMO.

Basically you can get a more upright riding positon & some faster tyres for £28 total. That's as cheap as you'll get as an upgrade.
If you can ignore the clonking from the forks (try not to go down kerbs so quick...lol) you should be fine

[MrBen]

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry for not getting back to you faster.

Great idea on the adjustable stem - as soon as I read it I realised that my other half had one on her bike too. Missed the one on the 'bay but I know what I'm after now - thanks.

I'm not new to cycling - just getting back in to the saddle after a long (long) break and trying to drag my other half along with me.

The idea behind the forks was to see if I could pick up a ridged pair cheap from somewhere (just found the sales section here so I'll keep an eye out) - I use to cycle loads as a kid as I lived in the middle of nowhere so it was that or never see anyone. I LOVED my Claud Butler Vantage (the lovely metallic blue one) - i remember it being loads lighter than the one I have now and I think quite a bit of that is down to the cheap sus forks on the stone river. I figured changing them would make it loads lighter and more fun to ride. Happy to have a go a changing them myself - it been a while since I stripped a bike down but it can't have changed that much

Have thought about the tyres - great suggestions - but I'm trying to slow myself down a bit (not that I'm fast - I'm not!) so I don't shoot of and leave the girlfriend behind so its probably not wise to make the bike faster atm

On the money thing - happy to spend out a bit on the right parts, just trying to keep the costs down a little - if we get in to it we're going to get a couple of 'cruising' bikes for day trips out (the other half is more up for a slow leisure ride around country lanes than a rage cross country ) then I can keep the bike as more of a mtb.

I think I must be getting old though as I keep looking at mud guards!

Thanks again for all the advice. Off to the Birmingham Sky Ride on Sunday it the weather gets better - its not far, but its gets us back in the saddle. Enjoy the weekend