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Whilst I would dearly love to join a ride before winter kicks in, my marathon and running club cross-country season has put paid to that. I'll have to wait til the Spring.

To encourage a deeper interest in running, how about this: It's drizzling on a Tuesday evening but having cycled home you are already damp, so you just change into running gear and head over to Tooting athletics track where you pay £3.20 to join other nutters to run 4x1200m in the sometimes pouring sleet rain. At the end of the session, you put on a rain jacket over your soaked-through clothing and jog home for a hot shower, a meal and a Guinness (recovery drink).

Ran 20K on Saturday. First run I've done for a while, having spent most of my time cycling of late.
Legs feel proper beaten up now though.

Running is an amazing training tool in terms of time effiecency and increased food intake. Bloody destructive though, I think I might need a plastic hip replacement.

FTFY

I'm aiming for steel ones myself. Then again, I've been running for a while and currently training for a marathon. After my 20 miler yesterday I could really do with being wheeled around today.

What kind of sauce you getting rid of Clefty?

I don't consider that being cheeky at all. I regard that as you writing down your jobsheet forgetting that it's being posted here :-).

Final entry: Today I bought the Trek 43cm, 2010 model. Evans sale had it reduced to £574.99 down from £625 and I could only do so because Evans offer interest free credit and, I passed the credit check. Ace!

I'll collect it next Thursday and will probably make a few changes after I've run it by Corrine and Scherrit in October.

You could choose between fat or skinny chips? I wasn't given that option. Got fat chips. Wonder if the staff were trying to tell me something................

Anyway, my first time yesterday. Hi to my burger buddy and the few peeps I spoke with/to. Too nervous to change seats and chat with most of you but will try next time.

You're kidding - I slept for England only waking up to shove a pizza and a beer into my mouth after the ride yesteray - and barely managed to drag myself into work this am!

Do it - tempted to do same with road bike

See you there!

I might be down early doors if y'all promise not to laugh at me in my civvies (and specs)

You fixed that bike yet? If I manage to change the stem and levers to my satis I might wander over for a celeb drink. Alternatively, I might bring new stem and a tools and beg for assistance :-).

Jenny J - congrats on the ride and hope you manage to fix the poorly bike.

Will there be an ambulance and masseuse (sp?) and can I get a bike friendly cab home? I can feel the pain already :-)

OK count me in for 12th. What time? I work over at London Bridge til 5pm so will need to pace my food intake so I have enough energy to get to RP.

Did someone call?

Hmm. Training rides. My hearts says "yes" then my head says "you're slower than a newborn" with 700x28c wheels/tyres. Where's the 'fast' in that?

Seriously, I would be up for it on a Wednesday but am not sure legs plus hybrid bike are suitable and I won't get my road bike til October/November :cry:.

PS: Couldn't make 11 August in any event.

This doesn't have 650c wheels, but might be suitable for this thread.

Dawes Espoir 2010 Kid's Bike (26 Inch Wheel)

Blurb:
The Dawes Espoir 2010 Kid's Bike (26 Inch Wheel) has been carefully designed to be a perfect junior road bike. With its proportioned cranks and handlebars, a mudguard compatible frame and a specification specifically designed to enable the rider to convert it to a cyclo-cross bike the Espoir really is an ideal starter bike for the little racer.

Frame: Alloy Junior Road Frame Fork: Steel Road Fork Front Derailleur: Shimano Rear Derailleur: Shimano Shifters: Shimano STI Front Brake: Alloy cantilever brake Rear Brake: Alloy cantilever brake Handlebars: Narrow Junior Road Bar Rims: Elan Alloy Wheels

I forgot to log my actual test rides: Saturday 24 July

At Cycle Surgery Spitalfields, I sat on a Specialized Dolce (small) and put my hands on the bars. Far too long, but took it for a (very) short spin any way. I really should have ordered the XS.

Next I went on the Giant Avail XS and that was much better, however the TT was long also, but the ride felt better and I discussed the option of smaller bars, stem and shims in the brake levers. Customer service was so good I was strongly tempted to consider buying the bike on the service alone! I also chatted with another (short) customer who was in the same position as me. She tried the same bikes and enjoyed the Avail much better. I think her arms are a bit longer than mine. Hope she bought it.

As the morning was rolling on and I had an appointment over in Hackney I thought I'd better speed up so collected my bike and went off to Tokyo bikes round the corner. I love the colours and tried 3 different models, but not the singlespeed. I wasn't keen on the 'step through' model but that might have been because I felt the curve of bars were too close to me and would have needed to be trimmed by a few inches. It was just fab riding a bike with 650c wheels and I know if I'd had the money/credit card/overdraft I would have bought one in red!

Because I'd ridden the Tokyo bikes I didn't bother going to OYB on the Sunday to test ride the Trek 47cm and the Cannondale as I now knew the TTs on both were too long for me.

The ride on the 43cm/650c wheels Trek happened last Wednesday (28th July) and it might not have been a good idea to ride over Tower and London Bridges during the day on a bike with flat pedals but, that aside, my arms could actually bend at the elbows! Result! New experience for me.

So, my lesson from all this is TT length is my number one, must get right, measurement. Because of that I really am limited in what I can buy OTP (paint jobs notwithstanding) and I should start saving the pennies for a custom job.

On Your Bike London Bridge have a few and certainly Evans London Bridge have one (or did yesterday) as that's where I had the test ride. Unfortunately they don't take Halfords vouchers.

I think OYB are reducing prices on their stock to make space for 2011 models, so may be worth a visit?

Update: I went over to OYB to ask them to hold the 2010 model til my C2W scheme kicks off in October. They don't have any in stock, which is a real bummer so I'll now have to make do with the white/blue colour scheme of the 2011 model. Yuk.

Charlotte I'm sure Edmundro appreciates being your assistant :-)

Well, having spent time looking/drooling/gawping and finally test riding bikes, most of them with too a long a top tube, I've narrowed it down to the Trek 1.2 size 43cm. That was the only bike where my arms weren't stretched out to the max which is a major relief.

Mind you, when I first saw the bike I thought it looked too small. Even when I got on it it didn't seem right, but I've been so used to riding bikes that are too big for me that I seriously thought about getting the 47cm WSD version. Fortunately Corrine (TBW) got me to sit on her Serotta which is round about the same tiny size and I my arms said "Yes, this is it" and Scheritt concurred so who am I to argue?

I'll need to have shims put in and flip the stem to make it more upright til I'm use to it plus cleats and shoes but, finally I've found the one for me. I'm aiming to get this year's model as I'm not too keen on next year's paint job. Just need to figure out how I'm going to pay for it: 0% finance or C2W. If I go finance I get the bike now otherwise I'll have to wait til October/November and I'd like to use it on a long ride before winter.

Decisions, decisions :-)

PS: Thanks for all the hints/tips/general advice re this biking journey. All useful and made me more comfortable when discussing my requirements in each shop I visited. I just need to remember the correct words for bike parts, "thingy" or "that thing there" are not very helpful, although the shop staff did smile.

Me in (depending on date). Still geared, I'm afraid.

Hi Wicksie, I have the same problem re hands but with lack of height too. Have only ridden a hybrid so riding racing bikes has been interesting. Suggestions: interruptor levers; short-reach levers (Shimano R700 or Tektro ??? and I think Cane Creek) and/or maybe smaller handlebars? Flip the stem or change it to one with a steeper angle?

Good luck. One day I'll go on a tour too.

Hi NMK. Thanks for your input. It's turning out to be an interesting journey trying to find a bike that fits me. I had forgotten about shorter cranks too. I'm off to Cycle Surgery, Spitalfields on Saturday morning to test a Dolce and a Giant, then nip round the corner to Tokyo bikes for a spin.

Must remember to bring a notebook with me so I can make notes after each test and I hope the weather gods keep London dry over the weekend for me.

We don't dress that way in Balham.

Hi everyone

I've managed to read through most of the this thread and was wondering if women have ever been targetted in this way? I know we appear more likely to get flattened by large vehicles but not heard/read about attacks. They seem primarily to be aimed at men.

Is it just between men/boys?

COMPLETELY off topic, but has anyone seen the mural just up the road from the Coach & Horses? I took a wrong turn the other day and saw it for the first time. It's serious...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=strathleven+Road,+london&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=4.645421,21.621094&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Strathleven+Rd,+London+SW2,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.458954,-0.125678&spn=0.004479,0.01281&z=16&layer=c&cbll=51.45906,-0.1257&panoid=hvCcP6xmZQ3aGV0A_67rIw&cbp=12,183.04,,0,5

Now that is one serious mural. I'll have to wander over for a good/proper look.

Now I'm confused. I assumed that, being a shrimp, a smaller frame woud be automatic for road bikes. Not according to my bike fit earlier.

The gentleman at OYB put me back on the Trek 47cm and flipped the stem. That raised me a little but I still felt a strain across my shoulders and down my arms. My arms were straight and not relaxed, but that was the best position I could get unless I deliberately lowered my torso towards the handlebars. When cycling my knees weren't far off reaching my chest - in short it was a little 'cramped', even with the seat pushed back.

Then he put me on a 48cm. Much better position but that saddle is not my friend, even pushed back and slightly down. Less pressure across the shoulders. And yet.

The finale: A WSD Cannondale (I think) size 50. Eureka! No pressure on the shoulders, no cramped feeling between legs and torso and even the handlebars felt better although the brake levers are too big. What the hell is going on?

Both the Treks brake levers had shims in them but that made no difference. Not sure about the Cannondale (but I did like the colour - it has red in it). The Cannondale bars felt better as they were a bit flat whereas the Treks are more 'rounded'.

I'll be riding the Trek 48 and the Cannondale on Sunday. Will go on Borough High Street as there is a bone/teeth shaking segment on it that is great for testing carbon forks.

Going by the above, I can understand why he is adamant that the 43cm would be too compact for me, but I'm going to try it elsewhere so I feel what he's so certain of.

I think I might need to enlist Corrine's help.