Cyclists Society

Are you just training on the turbo atm? What's your routine like? I get so bored on it. Tried music, TV etc but it's just so dull. Tbh I'm not 100% sure how to train effectively on it.

I'm the same, I've been ill and it has totally killed my motivation. Always thinking I'll start tomorrow

Hmm.

Maybe I should get a Turbo too. On days like today where I can't ride (the fell becomes a quagmire when it rains like hell and the snow/frost melts). It just wouldn't be as fun as DH, that's the only thing really keeping me back. Though, would be an extra-good way to keep in shape.

That Volcano-Riding looks sick! I'd have loved to have done that! Did the 5000-down in Whistler which was a couple-hundred riders going downhill in the snow. That was great fun! Did the train, too! Again, couple-hundred people all riding in a line. That was, equally, great fun!

Really need to get back to Whistler again. Morzine, too.

Hi guys, I've been looking around for some bike advice so I though I'd try the lovely people at TSR.

Basically I'm looking for a town bike for under £500. Nothing flashy or particularly fast, but nothing hugely bulky either with 200 gears (I'm pretty sure what I'm looking for is called a "hybrid", but anyway..). I want something that's built to last and can withstand Manchester's potholes for years to come. The problem is that im 6'4, and when I went to look around my local Edinburgh Bicicycle Co-operative, the salesman could only offer me 22" frame bikes with fixed handlebars, and this was just too small. He said the only way to go would be a custom built bike (as all new bikes now have fixed handlebars), or go second hand (which I'm not particularly keen on).

Any advice? Anyone know of any trusty reliable bikes for the oversized gentleman?

No offence to the guy, generally bike shops who sell loads of hybrids and low level mountain bikes have no idea what a bike can be shaped to and how easy it is for changes, let alone knowing a single thing about bikes ( you can envisage the shop as a car garage. The people who repair the cars know all the things about the car, the salesman probably do not even know what a spark plug is, and are trained to memorise the information of the car and act charming - basically an identical situation with those kind of bike shops).*

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/charge-mixer-2010/

Large is more than big enough especially with some more spacers and a longer stem (add roughly £20 both are childs-play to fit (well the spacers are actually non trivial to fit and they could be an issue if the tube is cut to size already BUT the stem makes virtually the entire difference elongating the bike)).

130 mm stem is a sound addition to a large frame.

* I won't forget being 16 and asking for tri bars at my overpriced lbs (but still used by me, I say screw the ****ing man capitalising the sport to ridiculous proportions) and he was just digging into such holes he could tunnel to and through Kilimanjaro - by 5 minutes I discovered he had no idea what headsets, stems or hoods where and even had to explain what drops were. ****ing amateurs.

Thanks for the advice. Just a couple of questions: Why are you recommending that bike in particular? Would the adjustments you suggest be applicable any bike? I seem to remember the guy talking about fixed stems or something and not being able to raise it cheaply. And (forgive my ignorance) could you please briefly explain exactly what a stem and spacer is?

Thanks (rep is on it's way tommorow )

You come across as the type of biker that would really hate something like the turbo. You're such a biking geek and then you have this mind-numbingly dull stationary piece of equipment. But the turbo certainly helps with the old fitness levels, especially when it's dark outside, cold, wet etc...

Haha! Ahh, that made me laugh.

I'll give it a miss, then. I think.

I seem to have pulled a muscle or two between my ribs from riding, and its really, really sore. -____-
I wont be riding again till the weekend anyway now school's back on tomorrow, so hopefully it'll have sorted itself out by then.
Couldn't go out today due to the obscene levels of mud, marsh and general unridable conditions on the fell, so my new bike's sitting here in my room sullen and unused.

Still, I shall grin and bear it. Only three days.

started yet?!

I was going to go on my turbo last night but I couldn't be bothered. Mind you, I did work 7 hours yesterday and part of my job yesterday involved eating crappy fast food from two different fast food chains (support work). Tonight is turbo night. Been giving it all kinds of pathetic nicknames recently, turbs, the turbometer I have to treat my turbo with kindness and not be fearful and hating of it - but the thing really is so damn dull.

Thanks for the advice. Just a couple of questions: Why are you recommending that bike in particular? Would the adjustments you suggest be applicable any bike? I seem to remember the guy talking about fixed stems or something and not being able to raise it cheaply. And (forgive my ignorance) could you please briefly explain exactly what a stem and spacer is?

Thanks (rep is on it's way tommorow )

Just come off my turbo. I've only gone and owned it again in an excellent 30 minute session

I seem to have little to no time at weekends for an outdoor ride and when I do, it's dark by the time I come home.

wut? How can you fall off a turbo? That is pretty specialised man - really I want to know! Rollers are more than understandable to topple over on but you have to be pulling my leg with the turbo right?

You should always have long rides with a minimum of 1 every week (and because people don't customarily (not confident that's a word) do work on the Sunday ... well pretty clear what day a lot of the guys hit the saddle for some long riding on).

Spacers sit on the steerer tube - the tube that means you connect forks to handlebars i.e. the tube when the two forks meet - resulting in some control over the height of your handlebars.

As a general rule custom or practically custom bikes* don't touch the steerer tube and simply attach a lot of spacers allowing you to cut it yourself (which is quite a task for first time riders so be careful if that does occur!).

The use of spacers and longer stems means you can be in a "natural" position on a frame that while not too small, would have to be bigger if you used standard components.

* Custom bikes are different than custom other things as mostly they involve the customer not being measured and merely choosing a series of components for his/her LBS/themselves to build. It is a route you may like to go down though it is generally considered unwise unless you know what you are doing. The other one is where you literally have a frame custom built for your body proportions - it probably does not need to be said that is VERY costly.

It is tough to get a blown up picture but from just looking at that picture roughly 95 % confident that is a thread-less stem and it even has some spacers on there! Not having any experience with that bike did not help me, but the Price of over 600 (means that you start to see people who do non trivial miles buy this item) with reviews by people who have done at least one thousand kilometres on it suggested it was good.

However many users of this society - well active members - are focused on some discipline so while we all have knowledge of how to do things and what things fit together it is unlikely anybody actually does riding on a hybrid or even has experience with manufacturers of that Hybrid so unless you want a mountain/road bike in which case other members or myself can suggest, you are in almost the same position we are into what a good Hybrid in your price zone is.

Dean's much more knowledgeable in this sort of biking-field then I am. And his suggestions seem sound for the riding you're aiming for. Definitely take into account what he's said!

In regards to your latter question about what a stem and spacer are:

The Stem is the component on a bike which connects the handlebars to the steerer tube of the bike's fork. Seen here and here are the two different types; quill and threadless respectively.

Quill stems are, almost always, used for bikes with no suspension. Rigid forks suit the quill as it actually slots into the steerer tube. Whereas a threadless stem clamps around the steerer tube and is used more with suspension-laden bikes.
Its not a general rule of thumb, but it does count with most bikes.

The spacers I'm going to let Dean explain. I'm unsure what spacer type he's talking about. Plus, he'll know more about them regardless of the location on a bike such as a hybrid, road and general here-to-there bike.

I'm 6'4, and I go for Large frames, but then again, there are differences in sizing between mountain bikes, road bikes and downhill bikes. Check this out, though, I'm sure you'll find the size of frame you're looking for with this.

Yeah! I got on and got 15 minutes in. It's not much, but by that point I was a bored, sweaty mess. Tried music, tried the TV, even tried playing games on my iPhone but it's just soooo dull. I think maybe little and often might be the key for me??? lol

My fear is I'm gonna be back to square 1 with fitness when I get back out on the road. I was up to ~17 miles a ride from barely managing 1.5 miles a few months before and being a complete noob to fitness.

It's quite satisfying to see that all the cycle clothes I bought when I first started are now hanging off me! Wasn't my main intention of cycling but certainly nice to lose 2 stone

wut? How can you fall off a turbo? That is pretty specialised man - really I want to know! Rollers are more than understandable to topple over on but you have to be pulling my leg with the turbo right?

You should always have long rides with a minimum of 1 every week (and because people don't customarily (not confident that's a word) do work on the Sunday ... well pretty clear what day a lot of the guys hit the saddle for some long riding on).

I have come close to falling off my turbo before

Sometimes I'll lean too far over when reaching for something and the whole thing begins to go...

I like watching people fall (lightly) off bikes.
When its a small crash, they get up and laugh I can't help but burst out myself.

Still, its always friendly on the DH runs. I remember falling off and having all the guys it took between me crashing and carrying on who came past saying "Oh ****! You ok, man!?" - They're all really decent guys. And the banter at these places is great!
Having a laugh at a guy or girl who's just crashed and is up laughing themselves is about the limit, though; otherwise, you get the more defensive people who start screaming and shouting.

Like this girl here which is nigh on one of the funniest videos I have ever seen of a crash and a rider taking it WAY to far. :rollseyes:...
Still, we have fun.