Bavariangaz – XL.

RicB – at £500 I would possibly just keep it. But I need the money and I’m just not riding it at all, so…   :(

Rock – that little? Yikes.

Pig – it was built by Bike Lab in Richmond, which no longer exists, although I bought the frame direct from Transition and picked up all the bits myself, apart from the wheels, which I got through the shop when it was built.

those shutters are a bit of a middle class cliche in south west London, next stop burgundy cords and an audi

I don’t even own a car and would need to sell a bike to be able to afford one, so no danger there!

Heh.

Thanks for the advice. Will see how I get on.

Ah, yep – that’s it! Any recommendations on that front? I’m near Kingston (SW London).

The ignorance is almost certainly mine! I mean those wooden slatted shutter things. I thought they were called French blinds, but I may (probably) be totally wrong!

Thanks!

yes it would move it back an inch or so

Awesome. Any idea how to fit it? I assume the hole at the top of the bend (the one not below the slot) is for the existing mount, then I’d attach the rack to the other hole (the one below the slot)?

If so, what is the slot for?

(Sorry for all these questions, btw.)

The rack did come with a disc brake adaptor, although no instructions as to how it works. Would this move the rack back at all?

All you need is a seat clamp rack mount.

That might do it. Will pop into my LBS tomorrow and see if they have anything in stock that will work.

Do you reckon I’ll be okay using it as is tomorrow? The panniers aren’t going to be carrying anything too heavy – clothes, laptop and charger, lock, etc.

Just had another look, you’ll probably need to invert the longer mounting bracket and bend it a bit too, I didn’t notice the size of the gate frame

It’s ‘only’ a 61. I have bigger.

It’s supposed to have two lengths of mounts, is this the shorter one?

Yes, that is the shorter one. The other one is significantly longer.

turn the bracket from the rack to the seat stays upside down try again.

Do you mean just flip the horseshoe so that the bars bend up, rather than down? Or do you mean attaching the sliding bracket above the rack, rather than below?

I would drill a second hole in the flat section close to where it transitions to round to attach to the seat stays. It will knacker your warranty though.
Alternatively remove the rear bolt and slide the rack until it’s level and drill a single hole through the horizontal flat section to make a secure fixing.

Yeah, I did consider both of those options. Would obviously rather avoid drilling if possible, but not entirely against the idea.

Looks like it needs one of those brackets that i’ve got on an axiom pannier rack, takes the mounting up and back and helps clear the brakes I think.

Do you have a link to the sort of thing you’re talking about?

Stupid question: other than looking strange, does it matter massively if the rack isn’t perfectly level?

A mate recently got into (road) cycling, so I’m riding over to his for about 9am (30 miles away, so an early start!), then going out for a ride, then back to watch the rugby, drink beer and eat all the things. Can’t wait.

of which, no more than 700grams* is hiding in the frame.

My Canyon frame weighs around 800g. I’d be surprised if the Roadhouse is less than 1.5kg. The fork will also be a fair bit heavier than the one on my Canyon.

But yes, a decent amount of the difference will be down to the wheels, tyres and disc brakes, and a bit with the finishing kit.

Weight clearly isn’t the point with a bike like this. Was merely pointing out that it does make a noticeable difference.

Will be even heavier once I stick guards, rack and panniers on it! :)

Assumed it was the three main tubes only.

That would make sense – the headtube and stays are noticeably darker in colour to the main triangle.

Just back from another ride on it – this time my standard quick training loop. Again, definitely noticed the extra heft, but was probably only 1-2 minutes slower over the hour, so within the margins, really. And it really is just lovely to ride. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another road bike without disc brakes – they’re so, so good.

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, it’s a 61. The saddle is still that high because I’m a lanky streak (870 saddle to bb), but I prefer a decent drop from saddle to bars anyway.

As for the comments on price, yes, it was expensive, although I actually got a very decent discount as I wasn’t paying on finance or the Cycle Scheme. It was more than I originally wanted to spend (I would have been happy with 105 and some cheaper wheels), but now that I have it, I think I’d struggle to give any of it up!

A few pics:

No idea why the last two images have rotated.

Tried to pick up some of the patina on the steel, but the photos don’t really do it justice.

(Also: yes, the sofa is purple. And I know the bottle cage doesn’t really suit the frame, but it’s all I had to hand.)

You’ve probably already read this, and I’m not sure it’s entirely the same as the Murakami book, but The Rider by Tim Krabbe provides a really interesting look at the mental and, you could argue, philosophical side of racing.

Best cycling-related book I’ve read. And I’ve read a lot.

Chrome[/url] seem pretty popular with the trendy messenger bag types in London. Not the cheapest, but apparently very well made.

I’d say the IQ Premium might be ideal – its what I commute with.

Better than the Core? Or have you not personally tried that one?

I’ve had a look and B&M do a set with the Core and a small rear light called the Ixxi. It’s not massively bright, but probably bright enough and apparently has a wide angle of light. It is also USB chargeable. I could then get a Cateye Rapid Micro to mount to my pannier rack, which I could run on flash or pulse to give me both a constant and flashing rear light. Sound sensible?

Also IMO, if what you want is not to be hit, get a reflective top and shine a light or two on yourself

Yes, I think not getting hit would be preferable. I already have a bright orange jacket with reflective bits. Also have reflective bits on my shorts and shoes.

The above would be three lights in total – one front and two rear. Not sure I could justify (or afford) too many more!

So you’d suggest never using a flashing light on the front or rear? Even if it’s while cycling on lit roads just in order to be seen, rather than to see the road?

The German lights sound exactly what I’m looking for, although recent English-language reviews are pretty thin on the ground. I see they also do an Ixon IQ, which appears to be largely the same as the Core, but with removable AA batteries, rather than a built-in rechargeable one. I had figured that a built-in battery would be better, but now I think about it, maybe it would be better to have standard batteries, so I could carry spares in case it dies en route?

I’m also slightly concerned that the battery life on the Core is only 3 hours on high. My commute is an hour each way, so that’s going to require daily charging. The low light version is 15 hours, which is plenty, but I’ve got no idea how bright 12 lux is!

Shame that Exposure can’t just make a light with a lens that doesn’t blind other road users – their build quality is great.

and would not fancy going down Greenhow into pateley bridge.

I did that in heavy wind/rain. Brown pants moment.

Stopped for tea and cake to gather myself, then stomped my way up Old Church Lane and across Nidderdale to Masham. Such a nice area.

Recently came across this site and found it very helpful in choosing a lock: http://thebestbikelock.com/%5B/url%5D

A lot of detail and comparison between lock types.

A tubus might last a lifetime but your velocity will last pretty well for the use you describe IMO. Normal brands do most of us fine, tj is an exception

Great. Thanks for your help everyone!

But that’s only if you carry 20kg, which is maybe unlikely on a commute unless you’re my OH and take your entire contents of your desk in your bag just incase it snows in August and you need to work from home.

I’ll be taking a full change of clothes and shoes, my 13″ laptop and charger, personals (wallet, phone, keys, etc.), some documents and possibly some lunch. No idea how much all that will weigh, but unlikely to be 20kg.

The only manufacturer of racks that I have had and not broken are Tubus

I’m hoping the fact that I won’t be carrying heavy loads means that I’ll be fine? The Tubus ones are more than double the price…

That said, do you all reckon it’d be worth me getting the Epic Alloy rather than the Tour Ultralite, so I can mount the panniers a bit lower? The Epic is 790g and £30, whereas the Tour is 560g and £20.

Thanks for all the advice!

I don’t think I need any space for a top load, so I guess I’ll go with either the Tortec Tour Ultralite or Velocity Hybrid. (I still can’t really tell the difference – both are 10mm alloy tubing and both have a 25kg load limit…)

That extra 200g gets you a stiffer rack and a second set of lower bars which lower the COG by about 40mm (which is going to have more of an effect on handling than saving 200g on a ~20kg set of full panniers)

I hadn’t really thought about that. Does COG make a big difference? Tortec do a rack with that setup (the Epic Alloy):

Reckon that’d be better?

How much tyre clearance do you need? A colleague of mine has the 2016 model and with the original tyres (30c) he struggled with the mudguard options and ended up with some RaceBlades. The internet suggests that anything over 35c does not work.

Looking for something to fit 30c tyres and proper mudguards like Chromoplastics. You don’t reckon that’d work on the Roadhouse, then?

Or a genesis Equilibrium disc?

Really like the Equilibrium, but I’m 6’6 and even the XL is too small for me. I ideally need a stack of over 630mm. The Racelight 4S is also a bit too low.

Wheelhouse? Same frame as the Roadhouse, same price as last year?

Yeah, I did look at the Wheelhouse, but the spec on that is actually a bit lower than I’d like: Tiagra, mechanical discs, etc. That’s a lot worse than last year’s Roadhouse, which was the same price. Also, the frame finish just isn’t as pretty as the 2017 Roadhouse. (These things probably shouldn’t matter, but they do – to me, at least.)

Would be happy swapping the Wheelhouse build onto a Roadhouse frame, but can’t imagine any dealer is going to do that.

I’ve never worn my SS Gabba without arm warmers. If it’s too mild for arm warmers, I’m unlikely to be wearing my Gabba. I’d then probably be in a summer jersey with a gilet.

The reason I got the SS rather than LS version is because I couldn’t get a good enough fit in the LS. I’m tall and skinny, so needed to size up to get long enough sleeves.

Bob Summers / IMN – could you upload any photos of the damage?

I’m looking at getting a Carbon Grade and had planned on fitting proper guards for commuting. Slightly concerned by this.

Think it would be better to just fit some clip-on guards?

Not sure if their petrol strimmers are any better, but I have a Screwfix Titan 600W electric one and it’s rubbish.

The autofeed has never worked since I got it. At first, it just spat a load of line out and whipped me across the shins. Ouch. Ever since, it doesn’t autofeed at all. Tried taking the spool apart and re-winding the line – that didn’t fix it. Tried replacing the spool – it worked for about 25 seconds, then stopped autofeeding again.

Shame, as it otherwise feels very well built for the money.

Ribble 7005 Winter?

I do TT’s on it too, 36th out of 61.

Fat bike and aero helmet. Awesome. Bet the tyres must make quite a racket on the road when up to speed! Never ridden a fattie before, but would love a go.

As for the club ride issue, I’m pretty sure my club lets people ride whatever they like, so long as the bike is in decent mechanical order and they’re wearing a helmet. If they can keep up and ride safely and sensibly in a group, I don’t see what the problem is?

I feel your pain. I waited two months for my SLX to arrive, then rode it three times before it developed a crack in the seat tube.

Canyon initially claimed it was just a crack in the lacquer, not the carbon itself, and said they’d just order a stronger seat clamp, which is bizarre. I kicked up a fuss and said I absolutely wasn’t having that, so ended up with a new frame. Had to wait 14 weeks (!) for it to arrive though, by which time summer was long over. It then spent the winter upstairs while I rode my training hack.

For balance, it’s my second Canyon and I haven’t had any problems with the first. But the experience has really taken the gloss off what is otherwise a SPECTACULARLY good bike, which is a real shame. I honestly don’t know whether I’d ever buy Canyon again.

FWIW, I agree with the other posters. They need to be replacing your frame, free-of-charge.

I have 105 on my winter bike and Ultegra Di2 on my best bike. Can’t fault either, to be honest.

Ultegra is a bit lighter and looks a bit nicer than 105, and maybe the brakes are a bit better, but the shifting on both is outstanding.

As for 50/34 versus 52/36, you’ll surely have a good idea on what you need based on what you have now? My 105 is 50/34 and 11-32. My Ultegra is 52/36 and 11-28. With the semi-compact Ultegra, I sometimes find that I’m between chainrings on the flat, particularly if it’s really windy, but I actually prefer climbing on it than the full compact 105.

YMMV, of course. Depends on where you normally ride, your weight, riding style, etc. I guess if you’re unsure, go for 50/34 – better to be spinning out on fast descents than running out of gears up steep climbs…

EDIT: Seems I was a bit too late! :D
50/34 and 11-28 sounds perfect. You going to be able to get tyres in time for a bank holiday shakedown?

Morvelo say they’re hoping to have new stock in three weeks.

Goes to show how much Jenn touched people she came into contact with.

To be clear, I wasn’t being sarcastic. It really is wonderful.

I’ll be buying some as soon as they come back in stock. :-)

Shame for Sagan. He was perfectly positioned until Gaviria went down and bumped into him.

Yeah, getting really nervy.