I like my Audi, it’s a good car. Should I be in a position to buy a Santa Cruz mountain bike, I’d be very tempted, they’re good bikes.

For the record, as others have shared, I first started mountain biking around 1989/90 on a 15 speed Emmelle which I suspect was made of wrought iron.

The Oak Tree in Balmaha on Loch Lomond is very nice.

I use Meguiar’s car shampoo as I’ve always got some in the garage. Shampoo, hot water, dish brush, rinse with a hose pipe, wipe off excess water with a microfibre then leave to dry. Every so often, I also apply Meguiar’s car wax and polish to the frame.

bartyp – Member

Anodising is done to help harden the outer surface of the alloy, and to help prevent damaging corrosion. Even ‘raw’ looking components are usually anodised. On something as thin-walled as a rim, I’d be extremely wary about removing an anodised surface.

Surely anodising wears off the braking surface on rim braked bikes, or am I missing something?

I loved my Kona. 18″ ’96 Fire Mountain, bought with a loan from my Dad when I was 15 and repaid using my paper round wages! I kept it all the way up to 2011, upgrading everything bar the frame (itself stove-enamelled white with a rear disc mount and brace brazed on, rear canti bosses removed and Crud Catcher bosses added) ending up with full XT, Fox forks and loads of Hope kit. I’d still have it today, but some thieving little unmentionable decided I’d had it long enough. :(

+1 for the second hand route. My CAAD8 was £216 and my turbo trainer was £40, both from eBay. I deliberately avoided piling in with a big purchase before finding out if I was actually going to get the use out of it.

Just checked JL and they don’t sell the Garmin Edge 520. Boo!

Christ, I’m sitting at about 70rpm. Must pedal harder!

I’ve found the investment in a turbo trainer (second hand Minoura B60-R for £40 off eBay), Garmin sensors and signing up to Zwift to be a revelation. I’m now ‘riding’ far more, because it’s convenient for me to bang out 10/12/15 etc miles in my kitchen after work (I position the bike right next to the back door, which I prop wide open), no matter what the weather is doing, whilst listening to Radio 2. It’s really helping me do what I set out to do by buying a road bike in the first place; regaining some lost fitness and shedding some pounds. For me, Zwift is the difference, the online and interactive element maintains your interest and motivates you to keep pushing yourself.

DeKerf Team SST, gorgeous.

http://www.dekerf.com/Details.asp?id=1

I had a basic bike fit done at On Yer Bike in Burnley a couple of weeks ago. They first measured me, using a laser on several points of my body, then did the same with my bike. They then plumbed my make and model of bike into their computer and it told them what distance from eachother various points on the bike needed to be and they adjusted it to suit.

The process took around an hour, the net result was that my saddle was lowered a tiny fraction and the stem was flipped so it rises rather than sits flat (although they said I could do with one with a 10 degree rise rather than the 7 I have now, but remaining at 110mm). I fully appreciate that these things can go a lot more in depth, but what I do know is that my bike is more comfortable and I now find climbing easier. For £25, I’m more than happy.

My first thought was Longmoor training area?

Jason, them’s some funky looking wheels on your lad’s Cube.

I’m glad he did though! Only about 30 min ago, when I got a fly in my eye halfway round my ride, did I think “I really should think about some clear glasses for riding”. Think I’ll be buying me a pair of those, cheers iolo. :D

I wouldn’t say no to one of these…

Cannondale Synapse Carbon Ultegra Disc Di2

Not so much when I first started biking, but more something I came to harbour a desire for but, sadly, never bought.

The Rocky Mountain Blizzard (and it would have to be in the pictured black/white maple leaf colour scheme.)

Probably something made in the spirit of an ‘old school’ XC steel hardtail but incorporating modern technology. A handbuilt DeKerf made from something like 853, with 29″ wheels, current XTR group and a lightweight 120mm fork would fit the bill.

EDIT: T’would appear it exists! link

OK, I’ve Googled it and I’m still non the wiser. At the risk of probable ridicule… what’s N+1?

Can’t say I’d ever really thought about it!

Randomly enough, I have a virtually unmodified Marin of roughly that vintage hanging in my Dad’s garage, in very good condition. Not sure of the model, but it could well be a Bear Valley SE, I has that grey/cream painted Exage groupset.

I bought it years ago from a work colleague for my Stepmother who has, to my knowledge, never ridden it!

Fat Chance Yo Eddy

Ritchey P-22

John Tomac’s Raleigh

Thanks guys, just what I was hoping to read.

Done.

Aldi and Lidl do one every so often, it comes in a blown plastic case and has a 1/2 to 1/4 adaptor included. I use mine for everything from the wheelnuts on my cars to the cassette on my bike.

relliott6879 – Member

…or have I unwittingly bought a known ‘lemon’ in the world of road bike bars?

T’would appear that I have. Fed up now.

The finished article:

I can’t go out and test it because it’s pitch black and persisting it down.

Does this look more like it?

The stem is definitely a 110mm, by the way (assuming I’m measuring between the correct points?).

I’m going with ‘Hero’. He was clearly very skilled, enjoying himself on a bike and hurting no-one. I’d have admired and maybe even complimented.

And today’s my birthday, so I get to be right. :P

A picture (or, in this case, two!) paints a thousand words, thanks. It seems the main thing I need to do is relax my arms at the elbow to drop my whole torso down?

As alluded to by others upthread, I come from an MTB school of thinking, where extending your fingers should see the controls fall naturally under just under them with your arms, hands and fingers in one straight line. My thanks to you (and everyone else) for taking the time to educate rather than a flame a newbie.

I thought they were about £250+?

So much to learn! Somewhat naively, it would seem, I thought that having the bar, stem and saddle in the right place would automatically just ‘put’ you in the right riding position.

What’s a ‘punishment pass’?

So I’m basically looking for the stem, top part of the drops and first part of the hoods to sit pretty much in line on the same angle?

I’ve rotated the bar back a little in the stem, I’ll see how that goes before doing anything else.

I’ve always bought our nephew Specialized bikes, starting with a little 12″ wheeled Hotrock and working upwards. Just about to turn 10, he’s currently on a 2013 Hotrock 20, it’s very well made and reasonably light. Could be worth looking for a used one if the budget is tight?

doncorleoni[/u] – Member

I know you are not wearing spuds

I am, albeit mountain bike flavoured ones.

I did think about the ‘regular clothes’ thing, but I’ve not long showered after my ride and didn’t fancy retrieving my sweaty riding gear from the laundry bin, and yes, I am leaning my shoulder on the garage door but tried to be as upright as possible. They are my bike shoes though, Specialized Ground Control, circa 1997!

Not really sure what you mean about the riding position though. Do you mean that I should ‘hunker’ myself down to get a flatter back? The position I’m in is just where I naturally end up. Do I perhaps need to move the saddle backwards a touch on it’s rails?

Me-on-bike pics:

convert – Member

Post some photos with you on it.

Coming up. Just need to employ the services of Mrs Wife…

doncorleoni[/u] – Member

Keep the flat parts of the drops to start oof horizontal.

Sorry to be thick, but do you mean the part highlighted in red or green?