Let the industry dream up new niches, it’s just means more bike options for us :D

I pick a bike that’s suitable for what I want to use it for. I wanted a carbon road bike that would take mudguards and wide tyres during winter, so I bought a disc brake “gravel bike”. Its happy riding crappy roads on winter night rides, but I’ll swap the tyres and take the guards off for the (few days of) summer.

I’m also glad there’s more options for 40C+ drop bar disc brake bridleway bashing bikes coming through, doesn’t sound as catchy as a Bridleslayer though .

If it’s fair weather use pick whatever you prefer, the new 105\ultegra\DA road callipers are very good.

I’ve gone for discs as I want one nice road bike I can use all year round. I thought it would be more of a summer thing, but when the weathers nice I tend to ride my MTB and when it’s crap like now I ride my roadbike.

I prefer it to my rim brake roadie, more predictable braking, lighter feel, prefer the STI shape and I’ve found the bike is cleaner after a wet dirty ride too (keeps the tan wall open tubulars clean too :P).

I just need to change the tyres and remove the mudguards for spring\summer.

They do look a bit ghetto.

There’s plenty of nicely made bamboo frames out there, but rarely with a bamboo fork…

Found Duranos to be a good all rounder when also factoring in price, ran 28mm for ability to lower pressures for more comfort\grip\reassurance. For me comfort is more important than speed during winter, unless you’re really going for it then it’s not an issue. I prefer them to Gatorskins, 4 seasons are nicer tyres but I can’t comment on puncture resistance as the bike they are on mostly goes out in the dry.

Felt the same a few years back, wasn’t massively overweight at 5ft11 and 14odd st but enough to notice it and also unfit depressed and under motivated.

I found cutting back on the treats\beer helped, kept them to the weekend and cut out the overly sugary drinks.

I got a Wifi weighing scale with app so I could keep a brutally honest daily record of my weight (syncs to app), cant lie to yourself that way. The daily weight in itself isn’t so useful as it fluctuates, but the overall downward trend is motivating. http://www.withings.com/uk/en/store/details/ws_30

I found Strava about 3 years ago, you can ignore the competitive side if you want. It’s really good for a genuine I cant lie to myself record of what you have\haven’t done. Either gives you a kick up the arse or makes you feel better for doing what you intended to. Set weekly goals, or just pick one climb to try hard on and watch the time improve. My riding time doubled each year for the first two years.

I met an informal “bunch of mates” type club, funnily enough through Strava, great people to be around and riding budies for life. Definitely got me riding more.

After doing increasingly longer road rides I started riding to friends\relatives that were further and further away (last was 107miles, my longest ride). The guilt of not turning up distracted me from the lack of motivation, and unlike a local loop once you set off that’s it, no backing out. I’ve had some brilliant solo rides.

I also found the value in short post work evening rides. Either making myself go the longer way home, or riding the same short road or offroad route really hard for 30-60mins and seeing the slow improvement in pace over time.

I learned to love climbs, I found they helped a lot. It’s difficult to make a climb easy, I annihilated myself on hills for a while and it was hard during but really rewarding after, especially when I slowly chipped away at my PB’s on Strava with the same effort.

Despite really enjoying riding I do still struggle with motivation, that transition of wanting to go riding and actually getting on the bike. I always remind myself no matter how crap I feel I know I’ll feel much better for riding my bike!.

Can you commute to work on your bike?
What about posting another thread to see if anyone fancies a ride. I’ll be surprised if there isn’t someone else in the same situation and area.

Hopefully there’s something useful in all my waffling.

I’m planning on building one to give it a go, see how it compares to my CX and MTB.

Correctly set up it should be quicker than my MTB on tarmac\fire roads\smooth bridleways. But more comfortable and able than my CX on rough stuff or long local rides on rougher bridleways. If you’re into mixing up rougher bridleways, trails and tarmac then it makes sense in my opinion. If your CX takes fat enough tyres then that should do the same job (wish mine took 40+ rather than 35).

Fair enough. I knew it was a different leverage ratio, which normally means no go. I didn’t know of it working in real world scenario though (and perfect shifting).

Sounds good :)

The only thing I wasn’t so sure about was increased friction, more so from the clutch mech with an STI.

Escapade looks good 8)

The cable pull is different.

Jtek do leverage ratio adapters, but no what you’re after unfortunately, unless I missed it in the list…
http://jtekengineering.com/products/shiftmate
http://jtekengineering.com/resources/shiftmate-compatibility

Just buy the right bits :P

Who actually uses the indicator?, it’s either the right or wrong gear!. If it’s aimed at novices then it’s probably not the best idea to distract them :roll:

Cheers for the reminder to order one :)

Shimano part numbers if anyone needs one
Y03K98080 R.H. Base Cap / Bolt
Y03L98070 L.H. Base Cap / Bolt

Carbon models?. UK distributer has 60cm Ultegra now (not many!), 105 is end of the month.

Got some Matte black SKS Blumels and some skinwall Challange Paris-Roubaix 27mm (measure 30mm) tyres to go on for the winter :-)

I wanted to like the bars, but didn’t. Got some Bontys which have a tiny bit of flare (1cm wider overall at the drops, but enough for offroad).

I didn’t see the point in the 52/36 gearing on my Ultegra model, plenty of gearing for fast road rides on a compact and 52 is useless offroad.

I wish it had clearance for 40-45mm tyres, I know it’s not intended for proper offroad but I did like the idea of taking it on big day rides with plenty of bridleway and gravel (42mm tyres on my CAADX were spot on for 80-100milers with plenty of offroad). 84kg and 35mm tyres don’t work so well, hit the comfort\grip pressure sweetspot and i’m dinging rims on roots etc occasionally.

Id love a fatter tyre “adventure” version with through axles FnR for MTB wheels and tyres :mrgreen:

Saying all that, I love the bike it’s great fun on or offroad.

A good tubeless tyre and rim combo should go up with a track pump, just give it a go. Fast and hard pumping is the key!, use the same technique for inflating the tyres :wink:

I went for a 55cm and I’m 180cm. My Cannondale Synapse is 56cm and my previous CAADX was 54cm with a longer stem than stock. The Carbon Grade has a FSA K-Force seatpost with 25mm setback (15mm is more common, so bear in mind). Saddle to handlebar it fits the same as my Synapse 56cm.

I’d try a 53cm if you can, get the shop to sit you on a bike with the same horizontal toptube length and stem as the 53 and 55.

Looking at the geometry chart.
Horizontal toptube: 535 vs 550
Seat tube: 535 vs 550
Reach is very similar: 370 vs 373
Headtube: 142 vs 162
Worth noting the steerer is short for the syle of bike, only 15mm of spacers on mine. Just worth bearing in mind the saddle to bar drop if your not a stem slammer and your saddle is at a reasonable height for the frame size.

I found my C456 rode best with 120-130mm travel for general stuff, 140mm for rougher rides. Longer would probably be fine for DH.

Is the frame the right size for your height?, if the frame is too short a reach it could have you putting too much weight on the bars (even with a short stem) or too easily putting too much over the rear end as well.

Plus comments above about fork settings and air forks (firmer options).

Follow a better rider down the trail and try to copy them with things like positioning and braking points etc. Then ride the same trail with them following you so they can give pointers.

As said above don’t try to ride fast, start slow and work on being smooth, speed comes when you’re getting it right.

Maybe some non cycling based Mr Miyagi style exercises are in order :wink:

Changing position on the fly makes sense, but it’s just a bit wrong :|

You need the same adjustment on the seapost head and some telescopic extending handlebars to go with it :P

If the deposit is usable against another bike they sell then fair enough. It’s a good way of minimising people using them as a test ride centre before they buy it elsewhere online.

Worth a search, pretty sure it’s been done recently.

I’ve tried BB7, Shimano CX75 but prefer TRP.

MTB – Tubeless – 2500+miles no flats
CX – Tubes – Flats every other ride
Road – Tubes – Mostly fair weather so not many flats

Bought the right kit to start with and its been faultless, I’ll go tubeless on everything at some point.

Police have insisted the maths genius was alone in his Pimlico flat and suggested he locked himself in the bag for sexual kicks.

Still trying to convince everyone he locked himself in a sports bag then, I’m sure we would all come to the same conclusion upon finding a MI6 Spy dead in a bag. I’m surprised they didn’t find inappropriate images of children on his computer as well, just to add another shot in the character assassination :roll:

Obviously got bored of the more logical causes.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/top-detective-claims-british-spook-found-dead-in-padlocked-bag-could-have-been-poisoned-9553955.html?origin=internalSearch

I know that feeling, did that to my Marzocchi Shivers back in the day :oops:

Sounds fair enough if the hanger was slightly twisted (agree with Trail rat).

I think it’s fair to say you have to pay for a skill with either time or money, I don’t want to pay someone else so I do it myself.

I hear about slow speed handling being a problem with 29ers. I hear it so often that it must be true, but I just can’t feel it.

I’m still convinced it’s all the Pink Bike kiddies who haven’t actually ridden one, let alone a decent one.

Don’t forget, the technical term is “flickability”, I think this was introduced by the same person that also introduced words like… “stiction” “edit” and “shredding” :roll:

^Ha :P

I dread to think how many times that frames cracked and been re-brazed\welded 8O

I now only use Bontrager MTB Tyres after getting some on a new bike last year, not the lightest but seated with a floor pump and no leaks or pressure loss.

They are very predictable and have a good balance of rolling resistance and grip.

Good enough puncture resistance and seal easily, I’ve run XR1 in summer and XR3 for winter, 2500miles between them with NO FLATS at all! (flat every other ride on tubes). Weight weenie RR’s are now a running joke with my riding mates after a plague of slashed ones on flinty rides.

Like with disc rotors I’ve given up on weight weenie options and just gone for what actually works best. I’d rather have something that isnt going to catastrophically fail or force me to end a ride early for the sake of 100grams.

Love it, positive vibes.

Makes me think about when I first got into MTBing and had next to no money, just get out and ride what you’ve got however you want.

Makes me want to dig out my old worthless spares and send them over to these guys to put to good use!. You know the stuff, worth nothing but perfectly usable but you’ll never use it!. I’m far too lazy to do that though.

Comparing with the brands mentioned in the original post they have a Distributer and Retailer taking a cut, so a PX frame should cost a lot less than the equivalent big brand. I think it will probably sit at that RRP for a few weeks then go on sale with 50% off.

They do seem to be knocking out the same frames with different branding options at the moment. Maybe they should just offer a bare frame with a selection of different branded sticker sheets :P

Still love my 29er hardtail, I’m getting a new full sus next year which will also be a 29er. I tried them out long after the fad phase, so by that point they had sorted out the geometry and ride. I’m totally sold on the clown wheels now.

I think the only thing holding back sales (if they have dropped off) is that it isn’t a new thing any more. That and the preaching naysayers who still haven’t tried a good 29er still obsessing about 12.65% drop in “flickability” :roll:

Hmm, it all looks nice enough so maybe I just need have a potter about and see where it takes me. I’ve got the sea on one side and have a Garmin, I cant get that lost!

Road riding didn’t click with me straight away, but I really enjoy it now (and still love my mountain bike).

My riding normally goes to both extremes, either short flat out 20miles ish or steadier 60-100 milers. I avoid crap busy roads and stick to quiet back roads, the enjoyment level is night and day different if you are riding the wrong route, same as mountain biking in natural riding spots.

I would find someone else or a group to ride with that knows the roads well, someone faster will be a bonus as it should force you to get quicker. Learn to love the climbs and treat it as a challenge, use Strava to keep a track of your times and aim to beat your PB each time you hit the same climb.

I know plenty of people who ride the more extreme end of mountain biking and really enjoy road riding too, it’s not for everyone but it’s okay to enjoy both! :D

Are you sure you haven’t worn out the chain wear checker? :lol:

I would say clean it less or less aggressively (and maybe let it wear a little more), I used to get carried away with cleaning.
Now I just oil it a small amount often (Prolink Progold Extreme) and when dirty spray some degreaser on a rag hold the rag around the chain and pedal the chain through my hand\rag to get rid of the dirt. After trying a silly amount of oils i’m sticking with Prolink, stays pretty clean and when it does get dirty the muck wipes off real easy.

I’ve been using it for 3 years after “not seeing the point”, there’s plenty of different uses for it. If someone doesn’t like it after giving it a try that’s fair enough.

I log my rides, see what my riding mates have been up to, remind myself to get out more and sometimes try to beat mates times (mostly on climbs). My mileage and fitness has gone up and I’m doing much longer rides than I used to before Strava, and the people I ride with most I met via Strava. The Strava route planner works well for road rides, I’ve let it plot some longer routes just giving point A and B and it’s taken me on some great routes.

Anything that makes me ride more and have fun is good in my books.

I’ve only just started back at the gym this week (Mon,weds,fri) and also riding to work all week.

By that do you mean you’ve suddenly become active after a break from general exercise?, might need to get used to it again and start with less activities?.

I use flats on the MTB and SPD’s on the road and cross bike.

I find SPD’s make it easier when you’re trying on climbs (especially sat down) and just generally giving it “the beans”. I also find my pedalling motion is more fluid and spinning works better clipped in.

I did my first 100miler (CX on\off road) on flats and it was fine, I would rather do stuff like that and general road riding clipped in now…

Give it a try and see what you think, then pick what you prefer.

Where are all the 35mm tubeless cross\gravel tyres?. The WTB’s looked like a good option until I found out they don’t like Stans rims.

Failing that what’s the current all round all surface favourite for tubes?, I’ve had enough of my thorn collecting SB8s.

It’s a bit odd that the Look supplied dropout isn’t correct, was the frame from a Look dealer?. Hopefully it’s not the case but there was warning of Counterfeit frames last year.

Found the same issue on 10 and 11, sorted it self out on the 10 once it was worn in a bit. If you want to adjust the chainline get some I.D chainring spacers…

http://www.ison-distribution.com/english/product.php?part=CRIDSD06

Getting dropped off is a good idea. I find it more rewarding and interesting if the A to B are different locations, rather than out and back or circular on roads you already know.

Visiting friends or relatives a good distance away works quite well too.
My girlfriends aunt is about 100miles away on the coast so I set off on the bike in the morning and my girlfriend started driving down in the afternoon (with a cross over pickup point if it goes horribly wrong). Great ride with new to me roads and the relatives were impressed too, plenty of cake and tea once I arrived :-)

Got a couple of these relative rides lined up soon, not done anything over 80miles since BBF.

I wanted something like this last winter. I planned on getting in regular post work night rides, but the quieter roads were too broken up for skinny tyres and the off-road was a constant mudbath (got fed up of constantly muddy bike\kit cleaning).

It would give me a better road riding position than the xc bike and pot hole gobbling ability of some fat tubeless road\gravel tyres. I’d go for a dynamo setup so I can forget about charging lights all the time.
Good excuse to build a bike!