Renting a performance bike in London?
Discussion
Next weekend I'll be doing the Etape Cymru with a small group, aiming for a fairly quick time. Having just enjoyed some miles on a Cervélo R3 I realise what a handicap my Triban3 is and I'm looking for something that will be stiffer, lighter and more reliable.
I found On Yer Bike offering a Madone 3.5 in my size (60) for £125 for the weekend but that feels steep at 7% of it's RRP. Does PH know of any better options? I'm close to London Bridge but happy to travel out for a decent bike.
Had thought of trying to persuade my Evans LBS to allow me a weekend test ride on the genuine understanding that I'm likely to buy a Supersix Evo from them. What are my chances?
I found On Yer Bike offering a Madone 3.5 in my size (60) for £125 for the weekend but that feels steep at 7% of it's RRP. Does PH know of any better options? I'm close to London Bridge but happy to travel out for a decent bike.
Had thought of trying to persuade my Evans LBS to allow me a weekend test ride on the genuine understanding that I'm likely to buy a Supersix Evo from them. What are my chances?
Seems a fair price for the period, I haven't seen many places that offer decent road bikes for hire, a fair few that do sub £1k models though about.
Not tempted to get the Cannondale now, to maximise usage , Sunset bikes in Cardiff have the 15' Dale Supersix Evo in stock .
Better the devil you know, if its about 90 miles, I'm presuming you have done that distance on the Triban and is setup accordingly. Ive seen people do big Sportives on new bikes and suffer quite a bit of pain and discomfort @ the 70 mile mark as they have taken brand new bikes that differ in their setup and the differences were only felt after 50 miles.
Plus as long as you have the lowest enough gearing for the hills and the bike will last then it is more about fitness and pacing yourself than bike , a better bike will help, but its the legs that power you.
Not tempted to get the Cannondale now, to maximise usage , Sunset bikes in Cardiff have the 15' Dale Supersix Evo in stock .
Better the devil you know, if its about 90 miles, I'm presuming you have done that distance on the Triban and is setup accordingly. Ive seen people do big Sportives on new bikes and suffer quite a bit of pain and discomfort @ the 70 mile mark as they have taken brand new bikes that differ in their setup and the differences were only felt after 50 miles.
Plus as long as you have the lowest enough gearing for the hills and the bike will last then it is more about fitness and pacing yourself than bike , a better bike will help, but its the legs that power you.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Seems a fair price for the period, I haven't seen many places that offer decent road bikes for hire, a fair few that do sub £1k models though about.
Not tempted to get the Cannondale now, to maximise usage , Sunset bikes in Cardiff have the 15' Dale Supersix Evo in stock .
Better the devil you know, if its about 90 miles, I'm presuming you have done that distance on the Triban and is setup accordingly. Ive seen people do big Sportives on new bikes and suffer quite a bit of pain and discomfort @ the 70 mile mark as they have taken brand new bikes that differ in their setup and the differences were only felt after 50 miles.
Plus as long as you have the lowest enough gearing for the hills and the bike will last then it is more about fitness and pacing yourself than bike , a better bike will help, but its the legs that power you.
This. Not tempted to get the Cannondale now, to maximise usage , Sunset bikes in Cardiff have the 15' Dale Supersix Evo in stock .
Better the devil you know, if its about 90 miles, I'm presuming you have done that distance on the Triban and is setup accordingly. Ive seen people do big Sportives on new bikes and suffer quite a bit of pain and discomfort @ the 70 mile mark as they have taken brand new bikes that differ in their setup and the differences were only felt after 50 miles.
Plus as long as you have the lowest enough gearing for the hills and the bike will last then it is more about fitness and pacing yourself than bike , a better bike will help, but its the legs that power you.
There is no way I would want to do a sportive on a brand new bike.
Also, your Triban is probabaly fine. Just needs a service
I was going to do the Etape but Jr Dowks due so had to cancel.
Have you tried these guys? They are a sponsor of the event
http://www.britishbikehire.co.uk/
Have you tried these guys? They are a sponsor of the event
http://www.britishbikehire.co.uk/
Yes, I've done more than this distance on the Triban several times. The indexing is all over the place. It was serviced a month ago and after one ride the indexing was shot to hell again. The granny ring is the 20-second Russian roulette change. Obviously only needed when going up steep stuff so if it doesn't engage quickly (which is 80% of the time) I have to abort and churn with the middle ring. The rest of the gears are 'two steps forward and one back', which is frustrating but I've been getting by with it. I just didn't realise how frustrating it was until I rode a 'proper' bike.
Buying now would be great, but the 2015 models aren't yet available and I'm waiting on a client to settle an overdue invoice before I can pull the trigger. I do genuinely want to test ride before I buy too.
I've spent another 45 minutes on Google and haven't found anything better
Buying now would be great, but the 2015 models aren't yet available and I'm waiting on a client to settle an overdue invoice before I can pull the trigger. I do genuinely want to test ride before I buy too.
I've spent another 45 minutes on Google and haven't found anything better
Gruffy said:
Yes, I've done more than this distance on the Triban several times. The indexing is all over the place. It was serviced a month ago and after one ride the indexing was shot to hell again. The granny ring is the 20-second Russian roulette change. Obviously only needed when going up steep stuff so if it doesn't engage quickly (which is 80% of the time) I have to abort and churn with the middle ring. The rest of the gears are 'two steps forward and one back', which is frustrating but I've been getting by with it. I just didn't realise how frustrating it was until I rode a 'proper' bike.
Buying now would be great, but the 2015 models aren't yet available and I'm waiting on a client to settle an overdue invoice before I can pull the trigger. I do genuinely want to test ride before I buy too.
I've spent another 45 minutes on Google and haven't found anything better
I'd save a packet and get a 2014 model in the sales. Yes you will get 11sp on 2015 bikes and some snazzy colours, but in some cases I'm not sure there is anything else thats worth paying the extra for. Buying now would be great, but the 2015 models aren't yet available and I'm waiting on a client to settle an overdue invoice before I can pull the trigger. I do genuinely want to test ride before I buy too.
I've spent another 45 minutes on Google and haven't found anything better
As per someone elses suggestion, I'd suggest getting the cables changed and maybe try another shop.
hmmm, is there a performance bike rentals business market?...I paid $80/d (£50) to rent the R3 in California. It was a fairly bike outfit too. Probably around 15-20 bikes. Admittedly their weather means they're probably getting business year round rather than sitting on a depreciating fleet between October and May.
I have a single day when I get back next week to have the bike serviced but I think I'll try to do that, as per the advice here. Then take twice as many Rule 5 pills the morning of the event and crack on with the Triban.
I have a single day when I get back next week to have the bike serviced but I think I'll try to do that, as per the advice here. Then take twice as many Rule 5 pills the morning of the event and crack on with the Triban.
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