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[Other Sport] Cycling geeks



Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
It is gonna be though isn't it. It can take panniers front and rear, and is made of steel. Even the Boardman will be aluminium. The Croix de Fer will last you a life time though, the Boardman, not so much.

Oh yeah I should have clarified.
I don't think Col was expecting it to be really noticeably heavier when riding.
But then again he rode it in on a 100 mile jaunt to Box Hill, which I bet he rode with a 'summer mentality'.
 




1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
I can't imagine how cack handed you have to be in order to find fitting a faff with mine.

All you have to do is loop and connect the rubber clip around the frame, centre the guard then tighten the clips.
If it takes longer than 2 minutes you're doing it wrong.

1 hour later......and they're still not on.
I must be the most crack handed man alive then :nono:
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
1 hour later......and they're still not on.
I must be the most crack handed man alive then :nono:

Oh wow, I wasn't expecting that.
However I do realise that was a pretty dumb thing to write, and I apologise for that.

Nevertheless I am surprised you're having trouble, mine are a really simple, solid, sturdy guard that just clips on and off (I'm still not helping am I)

I do hope they're on now and it was just teething troubles.
If it's any consolation, there's no rain forecast until half time, at the earliest.




Hey [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] what was that ride yesterday, was it a little bit 'gravelly'?
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,836
Hove
Hey [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] what was that ride yesterday, was it a little bit 'gravelly'?

A bit, I went to a meeting in shirt and trousers on my B...felt weird. I've ordered some 700x35c cross type tyres for the Holdsworth with a view to getting onto some paths and stuff to see how it feels and whether some outings on that can inform my next purchase choice....or even heaven forbid, become another string to the trusty Holdsworth's bow...
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,516
Brighton
You're not going to believe this but they crossed my path yesterday, just north of Chichester.

It's this http://www.thepca.co.uk/big-bike-ride-2.html, The Professional Cricketers Benevolent Fund.

Some bloke trashed his brand new Specialized Tarmac SL4 on day 3.
I appreciate that means nothing to you, but all the geeks are now wincing.

Trashed it? Entirely?
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
Trashed it? Entirely?

Yep.

I picked up the event from 'Flybys', and it just so happened the fella who I clicked on had titled the day before 'written off new bike'.
His title for that day was 'knee f***ed' or something like that.
So not a great advert for doing something for charity.
 


Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,836
Hove
Hey [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] what was that ride yesterday, was it a little bit 'gravelly'?

Stuck some 35C treaded tyres on the Holdsworth, and just did a 9 mile circuit of the Downs. What did I learn?
1. A lot of fun. Gravel, thick mud, tree roots, grass, rocky, but felt in control and enjoyed the ride. Descending exhilarating. Ascending - gear ratio a problem for anything too steep.
2. Scary!!! With a rigid set up, picking up speed down a fast descent with brakes that are anything but responsive was a bit white knuckle, but as said great fun.

The old girl did a fine job though, but bottom tube friction shifters and limited capability brakes wasn't ideal. A 35C tyre at around 60PSI is fine for a lot of terrain, but I don't think I could do a long ride with my arms taking too much of a battering...I went from thinking this bike is fine for me....I need the Genesis....I need an MTB......

No doubt these 'adventure' bikes can fill a gap most of us need and will tackle some serious offroad challenges that an MTB might just be overkill for....That said, I could see why an MTB would also be a lot more fun too.

For now, going to go out a bit more on the adapted Holdsworth, and maybe look at upgrading the brakes a bit...she is a fantastic bike I've got to say.

HoldsworthX copy.jpg
 
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Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
Great stuff Bold, lovely photo.

I'm surprised you even got those tyres on a Holdsworth and I have no idea why you even bothered braking!!

I guess that's why a cross bikes has a smaller than compact gear ratio, but that would be all but pointless on the road.
 




Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
Light update.

I'm just back from my first night ride, and my new front light is fantastic.
There was 7 of us riding and unlike all the other lights which were spot lights, mine lit up the entire road.
I even made a point of riding down the middle of a road just to look at both verges well illuminated.

It's basically a car head light, instead of a bike light.

I was even comfortable and happy coming down Singleton Hill in pitch black at 41mph.

Tonight's ride was two and a half hours, the light was on full beam the whole time.
I've had it on indoors for a good hour + more than that and it's shown no sign of needing to drop down to economy mode (which is still pretty bright).

For £50 this was a bargain, and I'll be happy to go out after dark, this winter.
 


1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Oh wow, I wasn't expecting that.
However I do realise that was a pretty dumb thing to write, and I apologise for that.

Nevertheless I am surprised you're having trouble, mine are a really simple, solid, sturdy guard that just clips on and off (I'm still not helping am I)

I do hope they're on now and it was just teething troubles.
If it's any consolation, there's no rain forecast until half time, at the earliest.




Hey [MENTION=16159]Bold Seagull[/MENTION] what was that ride yesterday, was it a little bit 'gravelly'?

No need to apologise, I am pretty cack handed as it goes anyway :lol:

Perhaps you have an older model set?, or your bike geometry just suits them well?, as these R30's do get quite a few people flummoxed on fitting it seems:

http://road.cc/content/review/105264-zefal-shield-r30-road-mudguard-set Most Wiggle reviews say much the same too. There is the odd review of clever dicks though claiming to fit them in minutes, so perhaps that's you and you're wasted as a postie.

Had another fannying around this evening and now they're all fitted. I'm very happy with the front, but the back I'm not entirely convinced by in terms of being a gnats tadger away from rubbing. I did have a go up and down our road as it's probably the bumpiest road I ever ride on, and all stayed in place a treat.

I'm convinced however that I'll be out on a club ride this winter, hanging on for dear life at the back as per usual and then I'll get the dreaded rub, causing me to have to get off to adjust everything and never seeing the group again for that ride as they all disappear over the horizon and beyond. We'll see.

Have to say, they do the look the part, or at least as far as mudguards on a road bike can ever look the part. I'm won over on that front at least, and now looking forward to all the benefits they promise to bring.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
I did say mine are getting on a bit.
They've obviously done something different with the design because as said mine just clip on.

What sets mine apart from Colin and Phil's is they are so much sturdier.
Maybe Zefal have tried to save a few grams but in doing so have compromised the simplistic assembly.
 




Motogull

Todd Warrior
Sep 16, 2005
9,909
3 weeks after ordering it, my cadence sensor arrived today. Looked like it was gonna be a beach to pair, but got there easily enough. Its pretty cool how you can set up what to see on your home page. The 200 was fine but the 500 is trick. Gonna get an HRM next. Can you get bra ones easy, like the ones our players wear? They look better than the strap ones.
 


1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
3 weeks after ordering it, my cadence sensor arrived today. Looked like it was gonna be a beach to pair, but got there easily enough. Its pretty cool how you can set up what to see on your home page. The 200 was fine but the 500 is trick. Gonna get an HRM next. Can you get bra ones easy, like the ones our players wear? They look better than the strap ones.


bra_grande.jpg

 












Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
I take it you enjoyed the club ride yesterday, [MENTION=22214]banjo[/MENTION]?
 






Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,870
West west west Sussex
Yeah I did thanks Stat, very different riding in a group. My second run out Sunday.
There's nothing quite like coasting along in the pack only to ride into a brick wall the moment you hit the front.
Christ knows how IL did it properly.


FYI geeks, cyclocross world cup highlights is about to start on Eurosport.
 


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