Hello fellow cyclists
Discussion
Hello all. Hadn't realised this sub forum was here. Can't get enough of my bike at the moment (Carrera Kraken), just love it. Have been going out with a group of mums cycling every Fri morning since beginning of the year and also trying to get out in the evenings too. My 3 boys love cycling too so lots of opportunities for a ride! Signed up with Strava which has been a great motivator.
I've signed up to do a 50 mile ride for Cycle 4 Cynthia in Sept so have gradually been increasing my distances. Happily doing about 40 miles now but thinking I should move from MTB to road bike before long. Any suggestions/recommendations? I'd quite like to get something I can share with my eldest son who is the same height (but very different proportions) to me. Not sure whether a female specific bike is going to work. Would like carbon forks but budget won't stretch further than that, currently looking at £600-800.
Does anyone know anywhere that'll do a long term hire? Not ridden a road bike before so would quite like a long go before choosing what to buy.
Looking forward to reading more.
Happy cycling.
I've signed up to do a 50 mile ride for Cycle 4 Cynthia in Sept so have gradually been increasing my distances. Happily doing about 40 miles now but thinking I should move from MTB to road bike before long. Any suggestions/recommendations? I'd quite like to get something I can share with my eldest son who is the same height (but very different proportions) to me. Not sure whether a female specific bike is going to work. Would like carbon forks but budget won't stretch further than that, currently looking at £600-800.
Does anyone know anywhere that'll do a long term hire? Not ridden a road bike before so would quite like a long go before choosing what to buy.
Looking forward to reading more.
Happy cycling.
Hi.
Check out pauls cycles online for some good deals. They sell off last years models for a few hundred £s less. I've bought 3 bikes from them and all have been faultless.
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php
Never heard of anyone doing long term hires but probably best to get in touch with some of your local bike shops (not chains like halfords or evans). Before I bought my MTB I was able to rent a demo bike for a weekend from my local for £25 which was then taken off the final price when I bought the bike from them. Google bike hire in your area and you might find someone doing weekly hires for tourists.
You could perhaps buy a mens bike in a frame size that suits you and your son (if you're the same height) and buy a female specific saddle and a spare seat post so it's easy to swap them over. However if you have different arm/leg/torso lengths you'll probably have issues with the reach to the handlebars.
Unfortunately you will end up spending lots of money to feed your new addiction
Check out pauls cycles online for some good deals. They sell off last years models for a few hundred £s less. I've bought 3 bikes from them and all have been faultless.
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php
Never heard of anyone doing long term hires but probably best to get in touch with some of your local bike shops (not chains like halfords or evans). Before I bought my MTB I was able to rent a demo bike for a weekend from my local for £25 which was then taken off the final price when I bought the bike from them. Google bike hire in your area and you might find someone doing weekly hires for tourists.
You could perhaps buy a mens bike in a frame size that suits you and your son (if you're the same height) and buy a female specific saddle and a spare seat post so it's easy to swap them over. However if you have different arm/leg/torso lengths you'll probably have issues with the reach to the handlebars.
Unfortunately you will end up spending lots of money to feed your new addiction
Love the bike name, not heard of it before. Obviously every time I unlocked the shed to get it out I'd have to say "release the kraken"
Just me then :getscoat:
Good luck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though
Just me then :getscoat:
Good luck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though
Edited by Hackney on Tuesday 20th August 09:45
Hackney said:
Love the bike name, not heard of it before. Obviously every time I unlocked the shed to get it out I'd have to say "release the kraken"
Just me then :getscoat:
Good kuck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though n
Had to look that up, oh dear, suddenly I don't feel the same love for my Kraken! Just me then :getscoat:
Good kuck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though n
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rel...
Yes, 50 won't be a problem, just going to take a long time as cant seem to get my average speed over 12mph on my mtb. I hope I would get a better average on a road bike.
If you can do 40 miles on an MTB you'll find 40 on a road bike pretty easy... and you'll definitely put on some time.
If you're not sure though, buy a secondhand one. Plenty on Ebay, something like a Ribble Winter Trainer is a good quality but basic bike. If you don't like it sell it on and you won't lose much at all.
If you're not sure though, buy a secondhand one. Plenty on Ebay, something like a Ribble Winter Trainer is a good quality but basic bike. If you don't like it sell it on and you won't lose much at all.
nagsheadwarrior said:
Glad to see in this civilised part of P.H this thread is going much better than the Golf Girl thread!
We're men who dress in lycra and hang around in groups.... go figure 
Female specific bikes are getting better, especially now they go beyond putting pink bar tape on a mans frame and hoping for the best. They now take into account torso length and reach but still spec long cranks which apparently still make fitting womens road bikes hard work if they are using 700c wheels. Its worth trying a bike with 650b wheels if you are shorter than 5' 5" as this reduces the wheelbase and will prevent you feeling stretched.
The Specialised Dolce range is very popular and worth a look, they should be a few secondhand around from women who havent continued cycling.
pablo said:
The Specialised Dolce range is very popular and worth a look, they should be a few secondhand around from women who havent continued cycling.
The Dolce is on my list. I'm also looking at the Giant Avail range and quite like this Boardman at Halfords - apparently they had a deal on last month and it was £499 or thereabouts http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... Looks beautiful to me, but apparently its not all about the looks.Mrs BlueCerbera said:
The Dolce is on my list. I'm also looking at the Giant Avail range and quite like this Boardman at Halfords - apparently they had a deal on last month and it was £499 or thereabouts http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... Looks beautiful to me, but apparently its not all about the looks.
That Boardman looks like a good bet. They come well recommended and are well speced for the price. My Missus has a similar one on order.If you do decide to go the Boardman route it's well worth the £16 it'll cost you to join British Cycling as you'll get a 10% discount at Halfords.
I don't think they'll let you test ride one but they'll certainly let you have a go on it in a turbo trainer.
Have the British Cycling membership, used it when buying my MTB, ordered from halfords online via quidco to get casback on the full amount and then paid instore with BC membership, think I ended up saving about £80 (every little helps!)
Yes, I've been riding with very nobbly tyres, maybe I should just put some slicks on and stick with the bike I have. Currently have slime filled tubes, any idea how you get the air out so I can take the tyres off ?!
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, really appreciated :-)
Yes, I've been riding with very nobbly tyres, maybe I should just put some slicks on and stick with the bike I have. Currently have slime filled tubes, any idea how you get the air out so I can take the tyres off ?!
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, really appreciated :-)
I'd keep an eye out on Ebay for the Boardman if you really like that one and are a 50cm.
They had a crazy deal on them last month where they were about £430, surely there will have been a couple of speculators that bought them to sell on once the sale ended, I considered picking one up to do just that but I'd just bought myself a bike and the OH didn't understand!
They had a crazy deal on them last month where they were about £430, surely there will have been a couple of speculators that bought them to sell on once the sale ended, I considered picking one up to do just that but I'd just bought myself a bike and the OH didn't understand!
Mrs BlueCerbera said:
Currently have slime filled tubes, any idea how you get the air out so I can take the tyres off ?!
Good question as I too have Slime in a couple of my bikes. Think I'd take the wheels off and leave them to stand for fifteen minutes with the valves at the top(I do this before topping up with air) before tyre removal. Good luck and, let us know how you get on. 
ETA: I must have been having a brain-fart moment because, have just remembered changing the tires about a month ago without a problem so should go OK.
Edited by Laurel Green on Thursday 15th August 19:19
Mrs BlueCerbera said:
Hackney said:
Love the bike name, not heard of it before. Obviously every time I unlocked the shed to get it out I'd have to say "release the kraken"
Just me then :getscoat:
Good luck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though
Had to look that up, oh dear, suddenly I don't feel the same love for my Kraken! Just me then :getscoat:
Good luck with the ride, sounds like you've made really good progress, 40 to 50 wouldn't be much of a stretch.
A road bike would make a huge difference though
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=rel...
Yes, 50 won't be a problem, just going to take a long time as cant seem to get my average speed over 12mph on my mtb. I hope I would get a better average on a road bike.
This is what I meant, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraken
The line "release the kraken" is from a film though (one those mythological ones that came post The 300), and seems to have been appropriated to mean something else.
Hello again all. Did the 50 mile Cycle 4 Cynthia ride today. Decided on a Ribble road bike which turned up on Thursday. Took some getting used to, but very happy with it and managed to complete the ride on 3hrs 34mins. Pretty pleased with the time considering how hilly the route is.
Like you all said, 50 miles no prob after regularly doing 30-40 on a MTB over the last couple of months. Thanks for all the advice.
Happy cycling :-)
Like you all said, 50 miles no prob after regularly doing 30-40 on a MTB over the last couple of months. Thanks for all the advice.
Happy cycling :-)
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