[fatkid2000]

Does he actually ride these £2K wheels anywhere need Sheffield - I certainly wouldn't. If the wheels are £2K how much is his frame worth?

[Percy B]

Those are his regular wheels! I would imagine the rest of the bike that goes with it is similarly specced. The joys of owning your own bike shop! Mind you, my climbing wall is pretty well specced compared to most climbers cellar boards....

[fatdoc]

thats a matter of conjecture...


 

[chappers]

http://www.poshbikes.com/product.php?id=366

nice one, i just found some alloy forks on there, ive been looking for a while but could only find carbon ones. now i can get some forks that i can get powder coated along with the frame of my fixie (pink i think). where is that shop?

[fatkid2000]

Those are his regular wheels! I would imagine the rest of the bike that goes with it is similarly specced. The joys of owning your own bike shop! Mind you, my climbing wall is pretty well specced compared to most climbers cellar boards....

I'm just trying to think what perks I get from my job - I'm struggling to think of any. Night shifts ... ...Not for much longer though.

[erm, sam]

I know this isn't what most of you aspire to bike wise, but I thought I'd post up mrs erm, sam's new bike. It is rad, handy for the weekly shop and we have even had one brief misson with the entire family on board! Makes two kidding it with no car a path.

[Joepicalli]

OK - Madone on the  list too!

On a technical note, does anybody have any experience with tubeless tyres? Was chatting to the boys in Butterworths today on how to reduce the weight of your wheels and reduce the chance of nasty blow-outs on alpine descents and they produced a set of Hutchinson tubeless tyres and said they would sort both problems. Wheels will be lighter as they no longer will have an inner tube in them, and tubeless tyres puncture like tubular tyres - a slow, gradual release of pressure and can be ridden flat, as well as being fixable with latex sealer or just by popping an inner tube in them temporarily. Seem to kill a number of birds with one stone. Anybody tried them?

I think that you need compatible wheels for tubeless tyres, although Mavic Ksyriums and R-Sys seem compatible I don't know about other brands of wheels.... Could be a good way of avoiding spending a lot of money on some new light wheels that use tubs, although Joe at Bicicleta showed me the wheels he has on his bike the other day - a pair of these would also fit my requirements, although they seem a little pricey. Whilst they weigh in at an unbelievable 870 grams for the pair, the price tag nudging £2K was off-putting to say the least. Check them out - http://www.poshbikes.com/product.php?id=366

Without doubt, some of the most beautiful cycling equipment I have ever laid hands on! Oh, for bottomless pockets.......

I'm trying to get my mate Gary to start posting  as he is the font of all bike knowledge. He deffo rides tubs Carbon on his trigon, and swears by them for things like the etap. I'll mither him this week to post about his experiences.

[Joepicalli]

Oh btw Perce Gary got his carbon tubs locally. He thinks it was at Bicicleta, but when they had just started up, (before they had the shop) and he got a really, really good deal. I'll get the details.

[Paul B]

Sorry for this blatant hijack:

A mate recently had this:



stolen from devonshire green skate park on sun the 15th.

Its now got a brown saddle and a smooth rear tyre (DMR transition)

The CRANKS were also REPlACED WITH SHIMANO DEORE HOLLOWTECH 2 WITH SINGLE RING

he's offering a 100 quid reward for its return, if anyone has seen it or does see it please email whatever@gmx.co.uk

I think its already been spotted once in Sheffield (Gleadless area I think?)...Thanks people and sorry again for the hi-jack...

[Percy B]

I'm not sure anybody who rides a roadbike will be riding anywhere near anybody on a BMX, Paul, but I'm sure if we overtake anybody spinning the pecker gear on that machine we'll let your mate know...

 

[jfw]

I know this isn't what most of you aspire to bike wise, but I thought I'd post up mrs erm, sam's new bike. It is rad, handy for the weekly shop and we have even had one brief misson with the entire family on board! Makes two kidding it with no car a path.

How does the steering work???

[slackline]

How does the steering work???

When you want to go left, you turn the handle-bars to the left, and when you want to go right....

I'd guess its something to do with the thin tubes that are attached to the top of the forks, they're probably attached to the steering stem around the point that is obscured by the kiddy-basket.

[Percy B]

At long last re-surfacing work has started on the bit of road that links Owler Bar roundabout to Fox House (formerly known as one of the shitest road-surfaces in the Peak). I have no idea if the job is being done properly or if their just throwing a load of tar and chippings on it, but anything will be better than what was there before. In the meantime I'd give going that way a miss - long queues and a convoy system are currently doing a great job of fucking the traffic up!

[fatdoc]

thank God for that.....

[fatkid2000]

Well at last the sun has come out and I'm going quicker!! Just knocked 3 mins of my commute home. Well chuffed. Although my heart-rate maxed at 195 - OMG!!
Bad news is that I can't do the Leg breaker - on weekend of 18/7/08 - had to do some swops at work so I can have a holiday.

If anybody wants the place let me know - I only entered the short course (85 Km ish), but I think its fairly easy to upgrade to the medium (130Km) or long (165Km).

Come on fatdoc - get back on that road bike - you know you want to. 

Road - resurfacing - are you sure that you weren't hallucinating Percy, surely not!

[Ariegeoise]

OK - Madone on the  list too!

On a technical note, does anybody have any experience with tubeless tyres? Was chatting to the boys in Butterworths today on how to reduce the weight of your wheels and reduce the chance of nasty blow-outs on alpine descents and they produced a set of Hutchinson tubeless tyres and said they would sort both problems. Wheels will be lighter as they no longer will have an inner tube in them, and tubeless tyres puncture like tubular tyres - a slow, gradual release of pressure and can be ridden flat, as well as being fixable with latex sealer or just by popping an inner tube in them temporarily. Seem to kill a number of birds with one stone. Anybody tried them?

I think that you need compatible wheels for tubeless tyres, although Mavic Ksyriums and R-Sys seem compatible I don't know about other brands of wheels.... Could be a good way of avoiding spending a lot of money on some new light wheels that use tubs, although Joe at Bicicleta showed me the wheels he has on his bike the other day - a pair of these would also fit my requirements, although they seem a little pricey. Whilst they weigh in at an unbelievable 870 grams for the pair, the price tag nudging £2K was off-putting to say the least. Check them out - http://www.poshbikes.com/product.php?id=366

Without doubt, some of the most beautiful cycling equipment I have ever laid hands on! Oh, for bottomless pockets.......

Well howdie folks
Can't help with the tubeless area but I've been using tubs on some carbon HED 202's for the last couple of years and have yet to get a puncture so I think they're tops, got the wheels from Bicicleta and I think they weigh about 1050 grams a pair and cost 400 quid so not a costly option really, using Continental competition tyres, one of which I wore down to the canvas and it still didn't puncture so what more can you ask of a tyre. If you're up against the clock or being chased by the broom wagon then the tubs do take longer to change (about 20 mins) but as I said I've not had a blow out yet (Ooh let's tempt fate as I'm doing the Etape on Sunday) Anyway, I think most of the pro's still use tubs so that must mean something. Hope this helps Percy. Get some tubs then there will be at least 2 of us out there. Cheers
Gary

[Percy B]

Cheers for that Gary. I have a pair of Planet X Carbon 50's that have a pair of Tufo tubs on that I use on and off. Having spent an afternoon in the garage tweaking the setup of my bike I've decided to go tubular and have stuck the carbon rims on for the summer. Rode them for a couple of hours this morning and ended wondering why I ever stopped using tubs - quick as owt! The Planet X wheels are way lighter than my Ksyriums too, so I think that problems sorted. I've never had problems riding tubs, and have a little cylinder of latex sealer if I ever get a puncture - its a lot easier than carrying a spare tub (as long as you don't get a big hole in your tyre that the sealer won't fill!) However, touch wood, I've not yet punctured any of the two sets of tubs I've had, so they seem like a good option. The only thing I'm not to fond off is the slightly more 'exciting' brake performance of carbon rims, as well as the breake squeal! Maybe a new pair of carbon-specific brake pads is on the cards.....

Just read that Floyd Landis just lost his appeal against his drugs ban so thats the end of that story.

[fatkid2000]

I rode some carbon wheels last summer - utterly gorgeous and seriously quick. They were built on Tune hubs, and run on Tubs. Think they were worth about £1500. Anyway I can't buy anymore bike related kit - until at least next summer. I'm researching what to buy - and that 11 speed super record groupset looks the dogs bollocks. Just need to find a frame.

[Ariegeoise]

I like the squeeling brake effect it's great for getting some room on the road going into a Pyrenean hairpin at stupid speed, I've just started using some cork blocks on the front brake so will see how they go and let you know, don't use the same blocks for carbon that you've used for alloy as they may have small bits of metal in them which will shred you carbon rims, that's what I was told anyway
cheers

[carefultorque]

On yet another note, my wife has a clunky bike and wants to buy a better one for commuting 20 miles a day as fast as she can. 

She loves stroking single speed bikes but recognises the perils: thigh hypertrophy, slow start away from lights, rubbish uphill until each thigh is waist-diameter.

Most of the people she's asked have a blind spot so it's hard to get a balanced appraisal. 

What d'ya think?

[Paul B]

I'm not sure anybody who rides a roadbike will be riding anywhere near anybody on a BMX, Paul, but I'm sure if we overtake anybody spinning the pecker gear on that machine we'll let your mate know...

 

well you never can be sure just what people are into  ....on a slightly comical note, the poor bugger had a Santa Cruz Bullit (???) nicked as well not too long ago. It was returned safely when the dumb witted thief took it into decathlon to have the tyres pumped up!

[Percy B]

On yet another note, my wife has a clunky bike and wants to buy a better one for commuting 20 miles a day as fast as she can. 

She loves stroking single speed bikes but recognises the perils: thigh hypertrophy, slow start away from lights, rubbish uphill until each thigh is waist-diameter.

Most of the people she's asked have a blind spot so it's hard to get a balanced appraisal. 

What d'ya think?

If you live somewhere flatish then it could be an option. Personally I think the whole fixie/single speed thing is more about fashion than practicality - a single speed bike is of little use if you want to ride anywhere hilly unless you are a powerful monster (he says remembering the bloke on a fixie who overtook me and Fatdoc on Froggatt hill!)

I favour a bike with gears for the road, and have a fixed wheel track bike for the track. I far prefer having a versitile machine to ride on the road (but then again, I do live on the edge of the peak, and a single gear round would be madness - way too hilly). If I lived in Lahndahn and was commuting everyday, I'd maybe consider a fixie but otherwise no way!

[Duma]

think this looks like a sensible commuter: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5360032997&N=Charge%20Mixer

[Cookie]

I've just come back from a semi-leisurely 10 mile ride in the blazing sunshine and am sweating in a most unladylike manner!  Bring on a nice cool breeze anyday.

[DubDom]

On the single speed thing, it totally depends on the commute. If it is solely for a messenger/commuter/hack machine then it's great to have a no maintenance bike. If you live in sheffield then you'd be seriously limited in what you could do. Those San Francisco messengers who use fixies are total fashion vicitms, makes sense in a flat city like London (or in my case Dublin), otherwise, in hilly terrain your knees are going to explode.
The pros use them in winter for training - something about improving your "souplesse".
I like that Gazelle cabby bike by the way, not sure if both my six year old boys would both fit in it, but if they did, I'd probably try and get one!