I heard about Wend and it seemed a good clean idea….until I read some reviews and tests on it, and it basically doesn’t lubricate the internal surfaces of the pins and rollers – the bits that really need lubricating.

I’ve used Squirt, White Lightning Clean Ride and also Rock n Roll Absolute Gold with fairly clean results. Not perfect but not black grime everywhere.

Merlin Malt G1 with Tiagra for £699?

When I broke my hip 18months ago, I just did what the consultant told me I could do to the letter. The time I would have spent riding, I spent doing physio, or just doing trivial (no doubt partially placebo) routine things like having a mid-morning protein shake.

Seemed to me that my consultant was super cautious and told me at my 6 week appointment that I wouldn’t be riding in 6 months. But when I saw the physiotherapist a week later he was a lot more pragmatic and told me “it’s physically fixed, you now need to use it and build up the muscles”. Some discomfort was inevitable and so long as I wasn’t doing myself damage that would set me back, I got stuck in, steadily building back up.

So if they’re telling you something then understand why they are saying that. Is it because you’ll do yourself more damage before you’ve even fully healed or is it because they don’t want to fix you again if you have a crash, or is because they’re not the right person (expert) to know what physical exercises can do for your mobility and riding aspirations?

Have you greased or put bearing lock on the seats for the headset bearings? I went through 3 different chainsets types years ago, just to realise it was the bearings moving in the frame. They were clean but moving enough just to creak a little. A bit of studlock sorted it.

I’d spend about £1k and the remainder on a decent set of wheels. Wheels on most bikes are pretty poor for their given price point and even a carefully chosen £300 set of wheels will be lighter and feel snappier than the stock wheels.

Most carbon frames will still be heavier than the Bowman, CAAD, Trek Emonda ALR, BMC ALR….

I’ve had a couple for a while too. Only bought a more expensive one recently cos I wanted MIPS. Whether that makes any difference or not I don’t know.

They fit me well, similar to Bell and Giro, so I like them.

One person’s custom build won’t be to the taste of another? If I was buying second hand, then I’d probably be buying just for the frame as I have my own preferences so far as stems/bars/wheels etc. In fact, when I buy new, I often change the wheels, the bars, the stem, the saddle….

It may be the done thing for gravel type bikes, but a Deore rear mech on a road/gravel orientated bike? Is that with road shifters or mtb shifters? Have I missed what groupset and what brakes?

Unless things match I sometimes see it as someone trying to offload all the bits they couldn’t sell for much individually but are going to try and make something as part of a full bike. You might be better (and its easier to package) to sell the frame and some of the bits separately. I’d guess the frame, wheels and some road shifters would sell for £300+ alone…??

Funny the last two posts mention acclimatising for riding in heat. I’m just reading a book called Endure, that is just describing this acclimatisation but for American football players. It reckons it takes about 2 weeks. Wiggins did it too didnt he when training for the tour? On the turbo with no fans, or even heater on?

I don’t think there will be much difference between bib-shorts intended for summer use, unless you’re thinking of the near mesh ones that Team Sky have used in the past?

I’d stick to ones that you know the chammy will be comfortable for a long day and possibly actual design features that will help keep you cool like mesh straps, lower fronts (I vaguely remember Santini used to be quite low cut at the front but that may have changed).

Don’t over think it. Success on the day will be more about keeping hydrated and energy levels topped up than marginal gains afforded from one fabric over another.

Hunt wheels??

I have an Orbea Gain, just the basic one (it was about another £700 for the 105 version, yet the only difference is the groupset…not really £700 of extra value eh?)

Bought for the commute and my route is probably a little too flat, I don’t save any time but I can get to work for about a 3rd less power according to the power meter in about the same time.

You learn that it’s pretty horrible above 15mph as it just becomes a heavy numb bike when the assist cuts out. And it is an assist – basically its like having a tail wind rather than say a Bosch system where you barely pedal but still get the full effect.

The Gain has clearance for gravel style tyres, not sure I’d want to take it off road though, the back end is a bit unforgiving due to the weight (and presumably the extra stiffness they needed to build into the alloy frame)

So basically, on a ride in, you chill out, make the most of the assist. Pushing on feels at odds with the concept of the bike.

And it’s probably more than 3kg heavier. I reckon more like a heavy MTB weight!

I used to ride a large Arkose and I’m 178cm. I could have fitted a medium but wanted the top tube length of the large and to run the stem without a load of spacers.

I would have thought a medium Arkose would be about right. If it felt ok to ride, seat post didn’t need to be right down, and perhaps check the recommended size for your height then you won’t be far out.

Yeah, for short intervals, surely there wouldn’t be a target power – it would be all out (and look at the data later)?

And then for any lap/interval 30second or more then 3second average is fine whether you’re aiming for a target power or not.

At least 3seconds on the road, or even 5seconds or 10seconds average.

Depends what kind of ride you’re doing as to what else you need/want?

I usually have average lap power and then depends what I’m doing but probably lap time.

With a bike thats already decent (albeit with minimal aero pretentions), I reckon an aero frame would make minimal difference. More benefit to be had from getting a narrower handlebar and perhaps assessing whether your position is somehow reducing the power you can generate on the flat.

But if you want an aero frame then of course, get one! 😁

I had a similar conundrum before I went for an e-bike. 13 miles each way, not especially hilly.

On the flat 15mph of the motor is a bit limiting, you just end up pedalling a heavy numb bike because it’s easy to go faster than 15. It’s on the hills up where you gain and on the downhills you don’t lose.

It’s about the same time on my e-bike but for a 3rd less power according to the power meter. If it weren’t for the comfort of proper cycling clothes and needing to get changed because of this, I could get to work in my office clothes and walk straight in without any kind of sweat on.

The primary benefit is the lack of effort, feeling fresher for doing stuff other than the commute. If it is quicker then that’s even better.

Door frame makes it easier to lean on with your shoulder whilst keeping your hands on the bars. I tried a chair but it becomes a bit more stop start. Once I had the doorway sussed then I moved to a chair for getting on and off

What rims are they?

Could be poor quality control on the tyres too?

I went from a 520 to a Lezyne to a Wahoo.

Had to ditch the 520 cos it just wouldn’t pair with my new phone. Even a new 520 wouldn’t pair. The Lezyne was cheap and reasonably cheerful but a bit quirky in that you had to select indoor or outdoor ride every time or it might not record all the data.

As mentioned, it’s a bit naff not to have different profiles on the Wahoo, but the screens are easier to change (increase/decrease number of fields on the screen).

The mapping is sufficient to get you home but I’ve found when you input a postcode destination, then sometimes the route it provides sends you down private driveways, footpaths, dead ends/pedestrian cut throughs, private land….

Pairs fine with my Assioma pedals or FSA Powerbox depending which bike I’m using, but you will need to set the crank length in the Assioma app because the Wahoo app doesn’t have the feature. (Well, I think it did, but it seemed to go missing and they’ve not been able to sort it despite me sending many data files)

I’ve run tubeless tyres on non-tubeless rims no problem. They’re still a clincher design aren’t they, just a stronger and (perhaps) a more consistent bead dimension to suit tubeless rims. It would be a bit pointless though cos they are also often heavier.
I have also run non-tubeless tyres (with tubes) on tubeless rims with no problem.

The only combo I wouldn’t chance for the road is trying to run a non-tubeless tyre as a tubeless system.

If GP4000/5000 are too much then there are cheaper Conti tyres that still use black chilli compound. Lots of other tyres get good write ups. Michelin Pro 4’s, Clement, Specialized, Vittoria (very nice “open” tubulars) to name but a few. Google is your friend.

I had some cable Spyres which were rubbish, very wooden and not very powerful. Just got some fairly basic Shimano cable discs and they are very good, plenty of power and feel.

The hydraulic 105 I’ve had for a while are powerful but I wouldn’t say they have masses more feel/modulation than the Shimano cable discs. The hydraulics probably need some new pads and the bulbous hoods probably don’t help.

So are we saying that no one who runs tubeless on the road carries a spare tube any more?

Yes, having an almost self repairing tyre is one of the benefits (if the sealant plugs the hole) but I don’t understand why you still wouldn’t just carry a tube?? Plus other useful stuff like a bit of gaffa tape/piece of toothpaste tube and the other useful stuff you’d carry if you were using tubes??

To me the main benefit of tubeless is the quality of the ride and less likelihood of pinch flats at lower pressures if I accidentally hit a pothole. In the event of a thorn or a cut, then if it self seals then that’s just a bonus, but I’d never go out without a spare tube.

I train for road racing and TT and rarely touch energy drinks. Whether that’s long aerobic rides, high intensity intervals or racing itself. Eating properly most of the time with a balanced diet, i don’t feel that it’s energy in my system that’s holding me back….

There is surely a limit to how much glycogen you can load your system with beforehand, so you just have to accept you can’t totally replenish what you use in a hard long race?

Interested rather than having a dig at the OP or anyone that drinks energy drinks.

I agree with Chevy…if you’re carb loading then it suggests it is pre-race, so eating proper carbs will have more nutrients and other good stuff in them. Why would you just throw liquid sugar down you?

Crikey, it’s only January!

I won’t be doing any until later in April. I didn’t do any last year either having broken my hip back in January, it didn’t seem worth the risk even late in the season.

I thought the whole point of fuelling was to take on board stuff with as much nutritional value as possible – not just pure sugar/glucose/dextrose or whatever variant you want to call it.

I wouldn’t be wanting to replace all of the X thousand calories I burned on yesterday’s road ride with just some form of energy drink.

Fusion 5 11Storm on my commuter. The rubber just feels grippy to touch and they seem good on the road. I’ve had no success repairing any road tubeless tyres regardless of brand but sealant has at least allowed me to get home without needing to put a tube in.

I use Schwalbe Pro Ones on the race bike but I have a pair of Hutchinson Galaktiks ready to go also which seem similarly tacky to the 11Storms.

I’d be heading for the 11Storms or something more heavy duty than Pro Ones if you’re intending some light off road. Not that Pro Ones are especially fragile but they are really a race tyre rather than a gravel/mixed use tyre.

It’s stale sweat that smells, so a shower before I ride plus good antiperspirant and then a clean change of clothes is fine for my 13mile commute to an office.

Rivington has lots of varied stuff but a lot of it is very busy with walkers at the weekend. And probably during the day the rest of the week too.

Are you looking for a destination and/or a place to stay.

If the latter, I’d highly recommend CHS (Cycling Holiday Spain) which is just down the road from Calpe. It’s just out of Callosa d’ensarria. The accommodation (gym, pool, sauna, projector tv, tennis court etc), home cooked food, rider support are fantastic! Nozad and his brother Jubi are the guys that run it and they really look after their guests!

Tired, when you say “hose pipe”, do you mean lacking in grip? For a specific “all season” type tire, they don’t seem that supple a compound in cold/wet conditions and I’ve had the back end squirreling around under hard braking a few times in the wet. Wondered if it was because I haven’t used this pair for a year or two and the rubber had degraded over time. Or whether they’re just not that wonderful?

I was querying the Schwalbe Pro One reports because mine have also been fine. Not easily cut up, grip fine in the wet or dry.

By comparison, I had about 3 punctures in 3 rides when I first put on some GP 4Seasons a while ago. Does that make them a bad tyre or was I just unlucky??

It’s kind of like a false truth isn’t it, tyre punctures so we call it fragile, tyre doesn’t puncture, we call it fine. And how many times do we allow a tyre to puncture before calling it fragile??… I’ve worn Schwalbe Pro Ones down to the carcass before they punctured but they are billed as a race tyre rather than a winter tyre.

Got some 28mm Hutchinson 11Storm Fusion 5’s and they seem good in the wet but only been using for commuting – so probably been riding a bit slower and more conservatively with them anyway. They seem to have quite a tacky feel to the touch. Just put a set of the Galaktiks on the race wheels and they went on very easy and still inflated easily as tubeless.

I thought BSA threaded BB’s were designed such that they didn’t unscrew under normal use?? Thought it was Italian threads that were more likely to unscrew?

Is there something else amiss? Cracked shell? Sticking bearings??

Having had a number of Islabikes and currently got both Frog and Islabikes, the decals are not removable unless you want to strip the lacquer off. So it won’t be an easy task.

Sounds like it just needs some cable adjustment. As per Joe’s post, check the mech will actually move in line with the top sprocket and then set up the cable

M5 for my Boardman CX, they need lining up nice and square and a bit of pressure with the Allen key to get them to bite past the little bit of paint over spray round the edges but they’re fine.

Cyclops rollers with adjustable resistance are good. Definitely need the resistance option if you want something akin to the effort on a turbo. And even more so with a compact chainset.

Back to the Arkose, I don’t think it was anything to do with handling, it felt slower, more sluggish just pedalling up a straight incline.  I had the bars slammed to a similar height to my other bikes and it had similar reach.  So i think it was more a combination of it being around 5lb heavier, perhaps discs rubbing a little and a little in the feel of the frame tubes.  But then it wasn’t designed as a road race bike, so it was fine for what I used it for.

Another one for Raceblade Longs !