Any cyclists among us?

[roXXo]

At last, a sensible post :bow:

I own a titanium Colnago with Ultegra 9 speed, Mavic 20 spoke wheels and various other lightweight bits and bobs. What I can't work out is why it seems to go so slow uphill

I have also got a mountain bike - raw ally frame, deore 9 speed, hydraulic rim brakes, and associated other parts.

The Colnago is away for the winter now, except for when I put it on the turbotrainer.

Nice, Steve
I have just been looking at turbo trainers in a mag. They seem to start at about 90 quid to double that and more.
Any advice/recommendations please?

 

[ianrobbo1]

just as well I suppose :dunno: cos the one I saw for sale was a right old heap and the seller would probably never sell it at the exorbitant price he was asking for it!! mind you these jokers will try an unload all kinds of poo!! :}

 

[Hornblower]

Feckin annoys me nowadays seeing the kids having to have ?xxx bikes to have fun... most of our enjoyment was building your own from scratch.

:-:

A couple of years ago I went out and bought a 1939 Sun tandem for ?40 it was rideable ( after I put new cable inners on for the brakes) and with a mate who cycles a bit rode it home. We caught up with two lads on very expensive full suspension mountain bikes with every trick bit you can imagine. We were taking it easy and just cruised past. The two lads looked shocked, hurled abuse at us and then with heels firmly planted on pedals and knees akimbo shot past us whilst bobbing up and down like yo-yo's. We just cranked it up a bit and passed them the lad at the back was looking rough and the lad at the front was quite flushed and sweaty. He decided to stay with us so we went. He stuck with us for about half a mile and then fell off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because we were kind hearted we turned round at the next mini roundabout (quite a feat on a tandem) and went back to see if they were ok. The lad who stayed with us was now white and throwing up and the other lad was WALKING pushing his bike. They were amazed that we had beaten them so easily on the wreck we were riding.
I think it was the best fun I've had with my trousers on in in the past few years. I love tandems they shock a lot of people, we just laughed all the way home, :beer:

 

[derek kelly]

I was once conned (by a friend) into buying a tandem, I picked it up after school and even did my paper round on it that evening, I rode it home and showed my mother and her exact words were "Get rid of it" so I didn't have it for long, I swapped it for a canoe which strangely enough my mother let me keep in the back garden, it was on the lawn for about a year when I and some mates decided to take it to collingham and try it out, we got it into the water no problem, I got in, my mate got in, it filled with water, we got out, the canoe drifted off down the river and turned into a submarine.

 

[D.S.]

FTAO Ian Robbo. Hope this thread doesn't induce any rage/apoplexy.
I know your view on cyclists.

Anyway, I have resurrected my old grid.

Cycle enthusiasts note that it is a converted road bike. Now fixed gear 42/16 giving a gear of approx 70 inches. Good for twiddling, high cadence.
I had the bike built in 1988. It's a Tange chrome-moly frame. Wheels and bits have been changed numerous times. Must get a gel saddle for it though.

For non cycle enthusiasts this means that the bike has no free wheel. The pedals go round all the time, just like velodrome track bikes. There is only one gear.
Note also no rear brake. Your legs are the brake.

Great fun
I have just shoved the guards on for winter. Don't like em but they serve a purpose. Disadvantage is that when turning my foot catches the front guard !

Sounds cool Roxxo. I bought a Mountain bike about a month ago and am really getting into it, but hate riding on the road, so have to transport it to get off road. I love the whole experience apart from not being anywhere near as fit as I used to be, although I improve with every ride (ooo er :blush: )

 

[roXXo]

A mountain bike DS. Are you intending to ride above sea level?
It's bad enough here in the flat lands of coastal Lincolnshire.
I don't do hills!

We have plenty of quiet roads/lanes round here and it is nice to get out on the old girl, but not having ridden her for a few years I hadn't realised how stiff she was. Gonna build up gently. The old thighs and groin ache a bit.
I love fixed gear bikes. They are so qurky but immensely satisfying.
I have a range of rear sprockets that I can put on.
a 70 inch gear is ideal to get back into it. Will see about raising the gearing later.

Got a new battery in my old cycle computer and finally got it programmed correctly for my wheels size etc.
I thought it was funny that my legs were ablaze, I was breathing like a broken winded old horse and my hair was horizontal in the wind as I sped along and yet the speedo read only 6 kph.
(OK I lied about my hair)

I don't know how long this euphoria will last. Come the shitty weather I'll be going to work in the car again

 

[ianrobbo1]

sold the blade yet then?? :dunno:

 

[roXXo]

It's not for sale Ian

:beer:

 

[ianrobbo1]

It's not for sale Ian

:beer:

so you've sold it then?? :dunno:

 

[bikesnoopy]

Good man DS...poxy road bikes. Glad you got a MTB...a proper bike. Ive been racing mountain bikes for 12 years now. Started with cross country in the early 90's then switched to Downhill in 1997. Fantastic sport. Mental...! Always build my own bikes. My current steed is based around a tweaked Specialized Big Hit(9" rear suspension travel)with Marzocchi Shiver forks(also 9" travel)& ive just fitted the latest Hope 6 piston hydraulic brakes...awesome bit of kit. Got a titanium Rocky Mountain XC bike too...weighs about the same as a J cloth! Each of them cost more than my Blackbird...!
Never ride on the road though... I love ragging down the side of a mountain at 45mph through the trees,but riding on the road is just TOO dangerous...:neenaw:

 

[roXXo]

I love ragging down the side of a mountain at 45mph through the trees,but riding on the road is just TOO dangerous...:neenaw:

Like riding a motorbike on the road isn't?

:beer:

 

[bikesnoopy]

Like riding a motorbike on the road isn't?

:beer:

No...riding motorbikes on the road is safer than riding bicycles on the road. Fact.

 

[Stroma]

i'm not into road bikes but i love mountainbikes and as i live near the grampian hills, there are more tracks than i can ride.....the uphills really do me in but the down hills are just superb . i have been down the world downhill track when it first opened at fort william ,, thought i was doing well till my son came back up the track thinking i'd fallen off i was so far behind ..at my age full suspension is a must .acomfy seat helps too

 

[Jaws]

I spose I should come clean.. I still ride a pushbike when the fancy takes me.. I usually use one to go to Rich66 as its either a 500 yd walk or a mile drive.. And very occasionally I will go mad and go to the post office on it... All of a mile away !

 

[roXXo]

I spose I should come clean.. I still ride a pushbike when the fancy takes me.. I usually use one to go to Rich66 as its either a 500 yd walk or a mile drive.. And very occasionally I will go mad and go to the post office on it... All of a mile away !

spose that basket at the front is quite handy Jaws.
Are you one of those reckless types or do you still have that plastic triangle thing to stop your skirt getting caught in the back wheel?

:beer:

 

[Jaws]

Nah mate.. its a fairly oldish, fairly fooked mountain bike.. 21 speed ( thumb changers ) reverse caliper brakes, total shot front suspension, front disk ( but that will be gone tomorrow as I have just flogged it !
I tend to balance bloody great big boxes on the handlebars and wobble along like that.. And before anyone says anything, no, I aint got Norfolks only mountain near by and no, the trips with big boxes involve fields, not roads !

 

[canary]

Got to admit cycling is very dangerous, i do about 100 miles a week going to
work and putting some miles in at the weekends, i have had a few moments let me tell you what with cars, bikes, dogs, kids, etc. most important piece of equipment that i have is my helmet, i may look like a dick in it, but it has saved me, i came off once on black ice and hit my head on the curb, could have been curtains. Julie & i both ride baracuda road bikes alloy frames shimmarno parts all light weight stuff, clothing lycra and yes i wear tights and very nice they look too. We have cletts on our shoes clip in and off you go, but don't forget to unclip before you stop, what a dick you look when you can't get your foot out and you fall off at a junction with about 100 people watching embarrassing or what. :wank:

 

[bikesnoopy]

i'm not into road bikes but i love mountainbikes and as i live near the grampian hills, there are more tracks than i can ride.....the uphills really do me in but the down hills are just superb . i have been down the world downhill track when it first opened at fort william ,, thought i was doing well till my son came back up the track thinking i'd fallen off i was so far behind ..at my age full suspension is a must .acomfy seat helps too

Yeah,ive raced at the Fort William course several times. Before the world cup came to Britain,they used it for the NPS(basically British Championship).Also,ive raced at Ae,Dumfries and Peebles in the NPS from 97 - 2003. The Scottish courses are all pretty good,but such a long drive from Devon...in fact,we used to do the European Championships and French Open in the late 90's because the rounds were closer!
Getting too old to do them these days tho...and my nerve is going after one too many crashes...:xm