Search results for:

I use these
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/dhb_Merston_Bib_Tights/5360038993/

keeps the lower back warm

sadly they also take pictures like this:

That prize tool doesn't look like he goes anywhere near a bike. More likely hangs out a gym staring at himself in a mirror.

an old guy from a local club told me he once knew a rider who had one arm amputated. He could apparently go down steep hills while changing gears by taking his hand off the bars to use the shifters on the down tube.

apologies, don't remember seeing this one before, feel free to move/delete to tidy up the forum

this is porn as well..

I quite like this, too. Not sure if it is 'bike porn' or 'bike riding photo porn'

The guy at Evans was very pleasant and enthusiastic but reckoned that if I was going to get one brake I should put it on the back, but I sort of thought that was wrong.

You were right, a back break is almost useless, since your weight will be over the front wheel when slowing down. Plus you can slow the rear with your legs (with practice). Take a look at fixed gear gallery and you won't see any with just a back break.

I used Evans when I was starting out, but after learning a bit a bout bikes I value a good LBS much more. The guy at my LBS is knowledgeable, has a stock of obscure parts, doesn't try to sell me unsuitable/expensive items. When you go to get your free service (or before) get them to change your back break for a front. They should do this, because it was a mistake to give you one.

EDIT; apologies, repeat post.

don't see the continental 4 seasons up there. Expensive, but mine have lasted a couple of winters and look hardly worn. The only puncture I can remember getting on them was a 2 inch rusty nail. Definitely not a racing tyre because they feel a lot slower than vittorios and Conti 4000 GP I've used. I've had punctures on gatorskins before, so the 4 seasons must be quite a bit more resistant.

While at uni in London about 3-4 years ago thought the courier bikes looked cool. Then starting riding a road bike to get fit, started racing, time trials, and a fixed wheel seemed the best thing for a commuter/winter bike. Now it's the simplicity, smoothness of pedaling and the fluid movements in traffic you find yourself doing.

I recently had a ride on my second hand 17 yo steel road frame after a break of about 12 months, and was amazed how much slower it was than my carbon race bike. It felt spongy, heavy and flexy. Coming out at junctions and roundabouts I wasn't able to get close to the same acceleration/top speed. My fixed conversion feels faster.

my rear wheel slid out when going over a level crossing and for the next few miles seemed to be sliding off to the right. Realised later I'd put the spacers in the wrong places when fitting the rear wheel and it wasn't centred in the frame.

+1 for conti 4 seasons, no punctures + grip FTW, although they feel heavy and resistant after riding vittoria rubinos in the summer.

a lorry holding straw bails skimmed me on a dual carriage way earlier in the summer, I felt the force push me as it came up then suck me as it came past. I remember being in that vigilant mode you get into when riding in harsh crosswinds, except this idiot's wheels were inches away and I had bits of straw in my face. What really did it was the fact that the road was completely quiet and the other lane was totally free.

probably right, but it wasn't much more dirty than the chain that appears as a banner at the top of this page. I'm sure it was user error though, so I couldn't justify doing a http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mIW1MAvyPD4.

My SRAM chain snapped when I was pulling away at a traffic light. It looks like one of the links has just been pulled until it snapped. It had been cleaned in the last month or so, and is only about 7/8 months old. I had heard a creak every now and then when out of the saddle going uphill etc. I can't think what could have caused it to snap as I checked for stiff links, and it was not under too high tension. The only things that come to mind are;

1. Teeth missing in chainring. Shouldn't cause damage to chain though, surely? It is a fairly old part, but the teeth are not wavy.
   
2. Chain tension: slightly slacker than perfect, but wouldn't have thought that coudl cause damage.
   
3. Chain line: Wheel was v slightly off centre between chain stays, but was riding fine with no tracking issues, and chain line looked OK.
   

Fair points, it's just that I've never found just because it's winter I need to have a long head tube and longer wheelbase. I use the same type of bike, just singlespeed/fixed. Obviously if it works for people then fine.

Spotted it on the Pearson site, pretty smart and reasonable value off the peg, looks a bit more appealing than the touche, £450 mall in...

Could be improved by taking out all those spacers under the stem and changing the handlebar to traditional curve, but the geo would still be too slack.

Definitely an element of bad luck as passengers should look, and the taxi should be indicating. I saw a rider get doored on Shaftesbury Ave recently by a dopey passenger opening his door. He flew several yards down the road landing half on the kerb half on the road. The passenger was apologetic, but the rider just picked himself and bike up and carried on.

never that keen to slipstream buses after a friend smacked into the back of my school bus and came in the next day with road burn on his face. A friend told me recently he saw a guy in full Rapha kit riding behind a motorbike with a huge windshield to provide drafting.

Bit worried that these things turn into mass hysteria, with people listening with the expectation of being offended. Who is this woman? I've never heard of her, and she's on a show with Paul Ross, a man who also makes a living selling crap on shopping channels. Cyclists should be above getting in a fight with these people.

The World Cup is on BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7702650.stm

It's on tomorrow and sunday as well.

julianemre,
just heard about this on the radio recently, about increase in accidents involving cyclists in Southampton:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3787850.Cyclists_take_to_streets_to_increase_road_safety/

Had no hoods for about 7 months and it's OK for short distances, but thinking about getting some hoods, plus a back break.

My currently uninsured and hence not ridden enough Bob. This will change. Needs a new seat post, and potentially wider bars for the road.
Very nice. I've been trying to find out about frame geometry for the BJ Vigorelli. Looks steep-ish from that photo. I asked BLB and BJ but no luck. Any ideas? Cheers

i quite like the Gorilla bikes, but apparentl y the frames are not worth what they're asking. worth including in this list though.

Sorry to drag this up again, but (for me) this is the funniest piece of TV I have seen this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fe79ZuDKfk

"Salut. Ho-ho-ho"
The 'or I cut your head off' sounds like a literal translation of French or Italian phrase that doesn't work unless in the original. Which doesn't explain why Cadel used it, but he has a weird Euro/Australian accent anyway.

My windbreaker arrived yesterday. Very nice.
What size did you get? I'm about 6'2 but quite slim, so am tempted to go for the M but what do you reckon?