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Not worthy of its own thread, but I have finally built my first bike, and first fixed at that. I'm sure I have committed a vast amount of bike sins, both mechanical and aesthetic, but I'm pretty happy none the less.

The plan was something practical, but fun to ride when I didn't want to lug my tourer around town, maybe be able to lock it outside a shop too so in the long run will be ratted up.

Along the way I learned how to set up and fit caliper brakes, switch a chain, fit and remove bars (we all have to start somewhere)

The chain needs a link or two removed but I wanted to take it for a spin to make sure everything else is ok

Still to come:

2 bottle cages
One of those clip on rear fenders
Something to protect the frame from the bars

Inside is how it came, outside is after it's built.

"worrying about the impacts of brexit on your small business" is a little too on brand, even for rapha

levy claims another B)

there is a weeknight ride with a bunch of very nice people over at 01fix1, you don't need a fixed, there is a few gravel bikes, i ride my road bike. it's a nice 20 mile spin mid week, speed depends who's there that week, good company and some beer. can be found here:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/235997/?offset=175#comment14905181

definitely Interested in organising more weekend rides as i try to get in one big ride a week, be it road or gravel. would be good to have company!

Pretty great ride which links the fallowfield loop and canals out the Whaley bridge, you get the choice of two monster climbs out the valley. We chose the non brick works one as Google made it look kinda nice? It wasn't , it was hell, but the view was magnificent from the top.
then it's an incredibly fast A6 blitz to spin out the legs.

There is also a little mini, but steep ramp in reddish vale park, a good leg tester.

Nice grav, nice views,

(Appreciate I'm only posting screenshots, DM me and if you seem not a burglar I'll pass on the Strava links!)

I believe we may have briefly met on a WNR, the first one I went on after @alialias invited me, you had the rather lovely Cinelli with basket and bag. I was off the back trying to hold on riding a bowmans

Would definitely be up for doing this route, I think there was light talk between gravel bike owners for a gravel ride the other week? might be a good candidate, a "run what you brung" mentality, would make for a good time.

definitely send a picture through if it's not too much trouble

that second route looks like a nice one, nice hill with only a stint of 10%? metal structures? gravel? seems great.

@fizzy.bleach so you've seen the aliens too then?

Hello!

I'm looking for something I can lock round town and not be devastated if the inevitable happens.

requirements:

front brake
risers
I can lock it up but it still, as marie kondo would say, "sparks joy" to ride
feels a nippy
must take at least 25's

likes but not needed: clearance for 28, rear brake, bottle mounts and mudguard mounts

For about 250-400? (if it's a real beaut')

The wheels are 11s,

@Glws has dibs pending a few photos and if delivery is convenient for them.

Trying to clear out some of the bits I have in the "office" - collection from Manchester or london if bought before the start of October

Vision team 35 / shimano/sram hub(??) - £70

nice winter/ training wheel, has plenty of life left if you want a OK wheel for budget project bike as they certainly look the part when built up. They've also been de-stickered if you're a fan of that look, I assume you are as gladly 2010 race bikes are behind us.

I have some tan side wall 25c tyres and tubes I can throw in if you want, i'll even put them on.

It was only because of my brain worms I took these off for some novatec/kinlins if I tell you i can feel the difference i'm lying, although someone more experienced might.

Blackburn seat pack - £30 (can be shipped)

This is a pretty neat seat pack, holster style. I bought this for touring but then on the tour realised I didn't have the legs to carry loads of stuff so now pack "ultralight" as the sales people call it.

be warned you need a good bit of seat post to strap this up securely and avoid the wobble.

Any questions or want of further pictures let me know!

Oh wow, I assumed it would be one of those places where you get shot for going near the fence.

I will definitely be making my way to said cafe, love metal structures.

Felt incredibly utopian sci-fi seeing it

funnily enough yes! i saw the p e l e t o n just outside of stockport, was surrounded by a bunch of extremely aggravated chelsea tractor drivers that their road was closed for 30 minutes out of the year. It was a total coincidence as I was out trying a different route.

out through to tatton park and then in back through cheadle, stolen from komoot manchester rides, was excellent all in all. tatton park is lovely, saw a giant radar dish, rather challenging climb around alderly edge, then the mistake of not removing swiss hill from the loop and having a v sketchy walk down it on damp cobbles.

thought i was having a terrible leg day but it was only when i stopped at the 40k mark to see said radar dish i realised my brake was rubbing, embarrassing.

Cant reccomended this route enough, really had it all in a tight package.

Urban sprawl
Rolling lanes
Challenging climbs
Push your bike climbs
Sweeping speedy descents

Really recomend if you have friends who are looking to dabble in the idea of multi day road rides, it's short enough so you can achieve with regular fitness, but enough on the route so you feel like you've achieved something bigger than the sum of its parts

Bela did a fantastic job routing this one for us. Don't tell anyone but I was having a bit of a "what have I done" dropping a good chunk on a dedicated road bike until we done this. His talent for routing really shone through, even when the theme was "none of that bumpy stuff, it's got 25c slicks and no clutch on the rear mech'

Yes, "PRO TEAM LIGHTWEIGHT SHADOW JACKET" is the full rapha name

Below is how a medium fits (6' 63kg) pose slightly frumpy at the realisation I'm now going to have to climb out of iron bridge

Simply cannot get enough of this rapha shadow jacket, spoke about it before but the more I wear it the more it amazes me,

Wind
Rain
Shine

Riding through the Shropshire hills all weekend it would vary from stiff breeze and rain to sunny and quite warm, just left it on the whole 140 kilometers, didn't matter (even on the climbs). Breathed when it needed to, stopped water when it needed too, all I did was zip it up and down half way occasionally.

Fit is so trim even with a anti bonk stack of food stuffed in the jersey pockets

While friends were stopping to take layers on and off the jacket kept trucking, never leaving me uncomfortable.

I'm sure at the extreme wet and the extreme hot it would be an issue, but for the temperamental British weather? Perfect.

never thought such a price tag would be justified for a seemingly niche bit of kit, but here we are.

Looks excellent, the birds especially

Done this loop today, nice urban ride out, then into some v 28 days later industrial buildings in fields action, after a stop at the lavender tea rooms for snacks (or the pubs near by) it's a really pretty lane blast back into town with a few little hills to test the legs before the urban sprawl kicks in

The old Trafford road out of town really does seem like the road out for a small loop. Down hill and nippy, bit busy for the first section but levels out.

Would like to take the GrAVel BiKe out on this and explore some of the parks and bridleways you pass

Whom was hauling it down oxford road this afternoon on a black and silver bowmans, looked good.

Picked one up recently and it's been pretty great

Should be noted it's not a hardshell, it will eventually let water in.

With that in mind however I've not been in any torrential downpours yet wearing it but it's held up exceptionally well in the rain I have been in. It's great as a wind jacket, or an extra light layer when it's nippy that packs down extremely well when it warms up. Honestly just a great all rounder with an exceptional fit (trimmer than equivilent gore ones imo) and a rather smart look with tasteful reflective bits.

Only downside is the rather steep price, but comparable for the jackets in its price range.

towards the more cycle end of non cycling looking cycle shoes the decathlon 500 spd's are pretty nifty, easy enough to walk in/ not too weird looking to pop to shops/cafe etc before/after work

sole is as stiff as you'd want for walking, paired with a set of shoes tucked under the work desk has worked well for me for the last 4-5 months

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc-500-spd-road-cycling-shoes-black-id_8403017.html?iv_=__iv_p_1_g_61980133654_c_316432589974_w_pla-329717981662_n_g_d_c_v__l__t__r_1o1x_pla_y_15177021_f_online_o_2541547_z_GB_i_en_j_329717981662_s__e__h_1006912_ii__vi__&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr7HD1dn_4wIVCLrtCh2fGQWrEAQYASABEgLBZ_D_BwE

definitely will have a look, will give me ammunition against house mates when they say "do you really need two bikes in the office room?"

@%~} that route looks.... a lot better...i can finally spend less time pushing more time pedalling

I'm impressed at how well the sticker has held up

I've been watching the lines like a hawk, this was planned for last weekend before the floods, weather was actually v nice today.

Atmospheric gloom and light rain at mam tor where you wanted it, pleasent cloudy sunshine elsewhere, better than the "rain all day" dark sky predicted

Also lol

First foray into the peaks, should not have taken the quarry road out of Buxton, I was about to pack it in after that

The descent into bradwell was incredibly pretty, well worth,

Mam tor I completely under estimated and was thourally reminded of my congenital heart disease, pushed to the top, the other side is 20% descent???!! If it wasn't for the stunning rock formations that line it I would have gone the way I came up.

Road through hope valley is lovely, was planning to go onto Sheffield but with my heart feeling like it was going to explode I turned round a third of the way up, lovely wide road descent back into the valley, yet more great rock formations,

Got the train back to manc from hope