Back on the saddle...
Discussion
It's been a while since I sold my "Stupid New Years Resolution" bike and I have been recovering from my shoulder and chest injuries.
Taking into account the lessons I have learned (some the hard way) I knew I didn't want 26 inch wheels or suspension. I still don't want a Lycra bike, no offence to any lycraists out there but it really isn't for me. I'm not spending anywhere near as much this time either. £1,695 for a commuter is ridiculous. The point of the Camber Comp was to use off road at the weekends but because I associated it with work I couldn't face it on my days off.
Garish colours are out this time as it attracts unwanted attention.
29 or 700C?
£400-ish budget?
Future upgrade potential.
Lightweight.
Road gears so I can beat my old record times.
Flat bars.
I was looking at the Boardman Hybrid range and 29rs at Halfords when I spotted a 2013 Carrera Gryphon reduced from £399 to £349.
Basically the same bike as the Boardman but with visible welding (as an engineer I prefer to see the working out). 700Cx28 with enough room for 34's if these aren't pneumatic enough for Norfolk roads. Grey and silver, cable disc brakes that can be upgraded to hydraulics later, solid looking wheels, granny bike looking seat (I'll road test this before replacing it) and a quick calculation in my head suggested the bike should be 8-10mph quicker than the Camber.
According to their computer they only had one in the store and it would be the display one. Ah-ha time for a bit of a haggle.
Nope they had one in a box as well and the computer was wrong, but as it has been superseded by the 2014 version I asked "How much is it now?"...
£279
That sold it.
Boardman quality at almost half the price.
Typically when I got up this afternoon for work and started to put the new bike together we had a minor torrent and the roads were flooded for the first ride.
As usual I have added a bit of reflective tape...
...I like to think I'm just about paranoid enough.
More later.
Taking into account the lessons I have learned (some the hard way) I knew I didn't want 26 inch wheels or suspension. I still don't want a Lycra bike, no offence to any lycraists out there but it really isn't for me. I'm not spending anywhere near as much this time either. £1,695 for a commuter is ridiculous. The point of the Camber Comp was to use off road at the weekends but because I associated it with work I couldn't face it on my days off.
Garish colours are out this time as it attracts unwanted attention.
29 or 700C?
£400-ish budget?
Future upgrade potential.
Lightweight.
Road gears so I can beat my old record times.
Flat bars.
I was looking at the Boardman Hybrid range and 29rs at Halfords when I spotted a 2013 Carrera Gryphon reduced from £399 to £349.
Basically the same bike as the Boardman but with visible welding (as an engineer I prefer to see the working out). 700Cx28 with enough room for 34's if these aren't pneumatic enough for Norfolk roads. Grey and silver, cable disc brakes that can be upgraded to hydraulics later, solid looking wheels, granny bike looking seat (I'll road test this before replacing it) and a quick calculation in my head suggested the bike should be 8-10mph quicker than the Camber.
According to their computer they only had one in the store and it would be the display one. Ah-ha time for a bit of a haggle.
Nope they had one in a box as well and the computer was wrong, but as it has been superseded by the 2014 version I asked "How much is it now?"...
£279
That sold it.
Boardman quality at almost half the price.
Typically when I got up this afternoon for work and started to put the new bike together we had a minor torrent and the roads were flooded for the first ride.
As usual I have added a bit of reflective tape...
...I like to think I'm just about paranoid enough.
More later.
CoolC said:
I'm looking forward to the new blog.
I'll try not to rant as much this time. Johnny if you're anywhere near the Democratic Republic of Norfolkistan (North West Norfolk) you can put a couple of miles on my bike to see how you get on.
I've not been out today waiting for my new arrival to turn up and working on my Panda.
Vipers said:
I find a bell and offside mirror is a must.
God yes. I bought a mirror originally to see my daughter in the trailer but I found it so useful I was lost recently when I replaced my grips for some close-ended types and the mirror wouldn't fit. I had to engineer my own mount because I just couldn't live without it.Watchman said:
.S. I missed this... I'll go looking for the thread but might be worth linking to it here. Sounds awful.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&f=174&t=1095288&mid=152801&i=0&nmt=Stupid+New+Years+Resolution%21+&mid=152801This one?
Bloody Hell twenty pages of mostly moaning about the weather, poor drivers, potholes and members of the traveling community.
Liquid Knight said:
I still have a designated pocket of my hi-viz rucksack for first aid and puncture repairs.
Can I suggest you invest in a set of schwalbe marathon pluses. Ive been using them now for 3 years commuting all year round. I ve used 700x32 which provide plenty of grip, are comfortable and still fast enough for decent rides. And no punctures.Pre-Curio I used Marathon 26 x 1.50 tyres.
I went for Curio as they were starting out and I thought bold colours would make me more visible.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/CurioUKshop?_trksid=p2047...
Really nice guys and local-ish based in Norwich.
This is the 29er/700x38 version of the tyre I tested for them and they added the reflective strip on the side wall and changed the tread pattern so there is constant grip as you lean over. What I called "tread transition" at the time.
I went for Curio as they were starting out and I thought bold colours would make me more visible.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/CurioUKshop?_trksid=p2047...
Really nice guys and local-ish based in Norwich.
This is the 29er/700x38 version of the tyre I tested for them and they added the reflective strip on the side wall and changed the tread pattern so there is constant grip as you lean over. What I called "tread transition" at the time.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Monday 14th July 22:36
Liquid Knight said:
Watchman said:
.S. I missed this... I'll go looking for the thread but might be worth linking to it here. Sounds awful.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&f=174&t=1095288&mid=152801&i=0&nmt=Stupid+New+Years+Resolution%21+&mid=152801This one?
Bloody Hell twenty pages of mostly moaning about the weather, poor drivers, potholes and members of the traveling community.
Interesting blog. I've considered riding into work myself. It'd be about 10 miles each way, mostly uphill on the way into work though. I'm hardly fit enough though. I have started to do a 12 mile loop in the evenings, after I get home from work, and that's just about enough. And so far, I've not had to "man up" to ride in the rain (2 months in).
At the moment I think about more reasons not to than reasons to ride into work. I've made significant improvements in my lifestyle towards getting fitter but I'm still at the stage of "suffering for the cause". I have 25 years of sofa surfing to undo. Suspect it'll take me a year or more to lose some weight and improve my fitness. At the moment, my average speed is only a little over 12mph on a bike considerably more road-friendly that your full-susser. Mind you, that's an improvement on my original 6mph average from only last year. I'm definitely stronger, and I'm able to "push" even though I'm many miles into the ride. That's a massive improvement over my having to select the lowest gear all the time because my legs felt like jelly.
Keep you goals realistic and you'll be fine. Jelly legs to tree trunks in six months is ambitious to say the least.
I only have one target this time and that is to beat my 26 inch times. I won't be hitting the commute as hard either as it's not a New Year thing, maybe a prelude to a 2015 resolution.
I only have one target this time and that is to beat my 26 inch times. I won't be hitting the commute as hard either as it's not a New Year thing, maybe a prelude to a 2015 resolution.
Watchman, it never gets easier, you just go faster
You've got time to get fit before the bad weather sets in, not riding your bike will achieve precisely nothing
FYI I've dropped 6lb this week
although I did weigh myself at my known heaviest time and my known lightest to be sure of maximum effect
You've got time to get fit before the bad weather sets in, not riding your bike will achieve precisely nothing
FYI I've dropped 6lb this week
although I did weigh myself at my known heaviest time and my known lightest to be sure of maximum effect WinstonWolf said:
Watchman, it never gets easier, you just go faster
Oh my... never a truer word. I have watched my 12-mile-loop times fall, and it seems each time I go out, Endomondo tells me I have set a new 10-mile record, yet I get home and I'm absolutely "cooked".WinstonWolf said:
You've got time to get fit before the bad weather sets in, not riding your bike will achieve precisely nothing
The best thing is, I've never been a fan of exercise for the sake of it, and yet I love cycling. I have had to find alternate routes to keep the interest up but as I've become stronger, I am concentrating less on the scenery and the "enjoyment of life" and more on the verbal stats Endo is throwing at me from my phone. I have become quite competitive with myself, and amongst the others in my work's challenge. In fact I moved up a place last night - from 6th to 5th, and I have the 4th and 3rd place guys in sight.It's bloody addictive. And I NEVER thought I'd say this about any form of exercise.
WinstonWolf said:
FYI I've dropped 6lb this week although I did weigh myself at my known heaviest time and my known lightest to be sure of maximum effect
I'm a fat knacker - 105Kg and only 5'6". My wife says I've lost loads of weight in the past 2 months yet the truth is, I haven't. My weight varies a couple of KG here and there anyway, so apart from that variation, I'm the same weight. I guess my gut is reducing - that's what my wife sees - but my legs feel permanently "pumped". although I did weigh myself at my known heaviest time and my known lightest to be sure of maximum effect I can now look down at things I thought were long lost
and I can run up 3 flights of stairs at work without collapsing at the top. At nearly 46yo though, I probably ought to go and get looked-over by the docs. The news yesterday was about this "statins for all over 40s" discussion. I suspect I'm a prime candidate for using these.
Muscle weighs more than fat so it's a poor indicator, you could easily be losing fat and gaining weight. The best way to tell is to put a tape measure round your middle Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff