Any cyclists here?

[ByronBlack]

Well done on getting the bikes and supporting yout local bike shop. Now get over to Cycle Chat and talk about lycra and shaving your legs. :wink:

No one wants to see my hams in lycra - that would be scare small children and some old ladies!

 

[Ironballs]

Very good, Diamond Back are now owned by Raleigh who sell them as their premium brand. Give that saddle a go, it looks like a WTB and all WTBs are a very similar design, I have a WTB Rocket V on each of my bikes as they are that comfortable. Trust me. And get some padded shorts, if you don't it feels like your arse has been beaten by a cricket bat with a cheese grater on it

 

[StevieB]

Congratulations - glad you are happy with you purchases Lycra is indeed optional, but if you get a pair of lycra shorts with a chamois insert they will make that seat a bit more bearable on anything over an hour or so's ride. Wear them under a pair of normal shorts or track suit trousers and nobody need ever know!

Steve.

 

[Night Train]

I have a Marin Hawkhill from 1999. Nice bike to ride but not for any great distance. I've been thinking of getting a recumbent trike but I need to sell some more furniture first.

My 'old' bike collection is gaining on me so I am going to move one on and sort the rest into usable spares and scrap metal for weighing in.

 

[ByronBlack]

Damian - It is indeed a WTB rocket seat, if it's comfortable I hate to think what an uncomfortable seat feels like, just got back from another quick 3 mile ride and my ***-bones are protesting something cronic! I used to have a real nice gel seat on my old MTB I could ride for hours on that. But i'll give it a month or so and see how it develops. It's been many years since I've been on a bike, and I weigh much more than I should so i'll give it some time for my ***-bones to toughen up a bit.

Steve - good suggestion with the shorts. I'll indeed pick up a pair and wear them under joggers.

Just got back from a quick ride, and I'm glad I decided for the MTB rather than a hybrid, my old routes are much less smooth than I remember them, and there's a lot more off-road dirt-tracks than I remember, so it was nice to have the front-shock.

 

[Paul Chapman]

just got back from another quick 3 mile ride and my ***-bones are protesting something cronic!.............. It's been many years since I've been on a bike

If you've not cycled for several years, you will suffer from saddle-soreness for a while, whatever saddle you have. DAMHIKT

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[matt]

Yep - definitely go for the padded shorts. Makes a lot of difference.

 

[ByronBlack]

Okay, despite many people telling me that I had an excellent saddle in the WTB Rocket V, I could barely ride 100 yards this morning on it, my sit-bones were killing me, and it wasn't just uncomfortable, it was painful.

So, out of interest, I tried SWMBO's bike which had its own branded claud butler saddle, and it was completely different, so much better I couldn't believe it. SWMBO tried mine and loved the WTB Rocket, so we swapped them around, went out for a 6 miler this morning and loved every minute of it, the change was amazing, I can now cycle with more comfort and don't have spend more wedge on another saddle.

Although now that I've raised the saddle post (it was way too low before) I need to increase the height of my handlebars as too much weight is now on my arms and hands, but at least my a*rse isn't painfull anymore!

 

[StevieB]

Good stuff! If you get pins and needles from too much weight on your hands then I can recommend using a pair of cycling gloves - go for ones with padding or gel in the palm to reduce vibration. They really helped me.

Steve.

 

[dickm]

Good stuff! If you get pins and needles from too much weight on your hands then I can recommend using a pair of cycling gloves - go for ones with padding or gel in the palm to reduce vibration. They really helped me.

Steve.

Strongly support that suggestion. Especially if there is any history of Dupuytrens contraction (fingers bending into the palm of your hand) in the family, as vibration is supposed to increase the chances of it showing.

 

[Ironballs]

I've picked enough gravel and dirt out of the palms of my hands to ensure that I always go riding with gloves!

 

[RogerS]

On the Roman Road (A4103) in Hereford, there is a very long, very suitable cycle lane. Please can any of you cyclists please tell me why some pillocks still insist on cycling in the road?

 

[StevieB]

Generally its because all the c**p, broken glass, stones etc get pushed by vehicles into the cycle lanes. If it is rarely swept by the sweeper lorries then its tyre suicide to cycle down them.

I did a 30 mile ride last weekend and part of that was down the A20 from Leeds Castle to Charing. There is a lovely 3 ft wide strip of the road outside a solid white line of the road edge that would be perfect for cycling down if it wasn't for broken glass, coke cans, broken bungee straps and anything else that can be thrown from or fall off a moving vehicle :evil: Contrary to popular belief most cyclists don't sit in the road just to annoy car drivers, but we wouldnt get 500 yards with the current state of most cycle routes, irrespective of their length or width. In these credit crunch times road sweeping is very low down on the list of council priorities - much lower than potholes and they are leaving those as a method of cutting speeding!

Steve.

 

[MikeG.]

Well said Steve!!

I recently had 5 punctures, all in different places on the wheels, on one 25 mile ride..........sort of takes the fun out of it after a while. I also had a whole load of abuse from a car full of oiks who patently thought I ought to be riding in the ploughed field instead of on the Public Highway.

Mike

 

[Ironballs]

Roger try riding in a cycle lane, especially one in a city where it tends to run for about 5ft before stopping and pitching you into the middle of a dangerous junction when you would have been safer on the road.

And yes they are often full of glass, rubbish and holes. I'll agree with anyone that cyclists jumping red lights is idiotic and should be punished with fines, but I will often deliberately ignore cycle lanes as they are dangerous.

And on the subject of punctures, got one last night just before the last fast descent on Saddleworth Moor last night. Spoiled the end of my ride and Saddleworth in the pitch black with only your headtorch for company can be a lonely place

 

[RogerS]

Sorry should have been clearer.

This cycle lane is separated from the road and elevated. Totally dedicated cycle lane. So just to be absolutely clear...it is road then raised kerbstone then about 2 metres of grass then a very wide two lane cycle lane. So no chance of road debris.

It is also a couple of miles long. Not a 5ft town version. So in this instance I see absolutely no justification for these pillocks to ride in the road.

 

[woodbloke]

Well said Steve!!

I recently had 5 punctures, all in different places on the wheels, on one 25 mile ride..........sort of takes the fun out of it after a while. I also had a whole load of abuse from a car full of oiks who patently thought I ought to be riding in the ploughed field instead of on the Public Highway.

Mike

I ride the 'Blokebike' for work each day and it's now my preferred method of getting around the city. The roads around Wilton and Salisbury are no better or any worse that anywhere else, but I've not had a puncture in nearly two years of constant riding...something to do with kevlar reinforced tyres? (Bontrager) - Rob

 

[Jake]

Sorry should have been clearer.

This cycle lane is separated from the road and elevated. Totally dedicated cycle lane. So just to be absolutely clear...it is road then raised kerbstone then about 2 metres of grass then a very wide two lane cycle lane. So no chance of road debris.

It is also a couple of miles long. Not a 5ft town version. So in this instance I see absolutely no justification for these pillocks to ride in the road.

You do like your road rage, don't you.

Get over it - they are as much entitled to use the public highway as you are.

 

[user 5053]

For £250 I would go for a front suspension mountain bike for all round general use. I have a Trek which cost about £200 and a lightweight Italian hand built steel racing bike with Columbus tubing which I bought from a bike shop for £40. Great cycling forums are CTC, cyclechat, bikeforums, bike radar. As woodworkers it is great to get out on our bikes for inspiration and to have thinking time for our next blockbuster project.

 

[RogerS]

Sorry should have been clearer.

This cycle lane is separated from the road and elevated. Totally dedicated cycle lane. So just to be absolutely clear...it is road then raised kerbstone then about 2 metres of grass then a very wide two lane cycle lane. So no chance of road debris.

It is also a couple of miles long. Not a 5ft town version. So in this instance I see absolutely no justification for these pillocks to ride in the road.

You do like your road rage, don't you.

Get over it - they are as much entitled to use the public highway as you are.

So does that mean I can drive in their cycle lane?

Seriously it's plain dumb. The main road is not that wide and is also a 60mph limit. So by insisting on their 'right' they make life more dangerous for everyone. Not road rage. Just annoyed at selfish behaviour.

Does that mean I can use their cycle lane then :wink: