Pushbike Thread

[porca misèria]

a peddle cyclist? what was he peddling? a string of onions maybe?

There was a guy a couple of years ago rode the Paris-Brest-Paris run[1] on a 100-year-old bike, dressed as an onion-seller and complete with string of onions.

[1] An endurance event, the nearest equivalent in Blighty being the London-Edinburgh-London.

[The Masked Tulip]

Aldi have a load of winter stuff in for Thursday.

There is a bunch of Tenns stuff on Amazon via hotukdeals at the moment. Aldi prices basically.

[ccc]

I commute on a mountain bike - front suspension rear panniers and slick tyres. The final bit is the important part.

A hybrid would be a bit faster - but I like knowing I can go over unexpected rough stuff and not care.

[pipllman]

in terms of clothing, I would recommend proper cycling shoes and clip in pedals as the best bang for the buck as far as getting serious goes

[porca misèria]

in terms of clothing, I would recommend proper cycling shoes and clip in pedals as the best bang for the buck as far as getting serious goes

What do you do when you arrive somewhere that involves walking? Like a destination that happens to be a shop, office, pub, etc?

I like footwear that works both on and off the bike. Like sandals, or at worst trainers.

[MrPin]

You`re all bloody mad!

Don`t you go out in what you`ve got on?

I don't have anything on! What are you suggesting? There might be perverts out there! Even a "concert sized" ukulele cannot hide everything!

[onlylooking]

What do you do when you arrive somewhere that involves walking? Like a destination that happens to be a shop, office, pub, etc?

I like footwear that works both on and off the bike. Like sandals, or at worst trainers.

Get single sided clip in pedals so you're not stuck with specific footwear. I have these and put sandals on when popping down to the shops.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-pd-a520-touring-pedals/

[ccc]

I don't find it difficult to walk in my clip ins - long as its not too far.

[onlylooking]

Yes, I do! Though I will change into shorts if just going for a recreational ride about. You wouldn't catch me dead in lycra.

It's one of the very noticeable differences between cyclists here and in Germany. Over there, cycling is seen as part of everyday life, and most cyclists you see are wearing normal clothes, perhaps with some extra weather protection. Here, though, cycling tends to be seen primarily as a sport, so many people feel that dressing up in special clothing is an essential part of the activity.

It's more the chafing and sore bottom issue on longer rides (50k+) at decent speed that lycra and padded shorts works well. Once you give it a go you'll wonder why you ever knocked it. Remember to leave underwear off.

[The Knimbies who say No]

If you are buying second hand, look for signs of light or heavy use:

-The paint/calligraphy on crank arms is notorious for scuffing away with even fairly light use. If it is all still there, so much the better (assuming original parts)

-Does it have its original tyres and other bits? Seems unbelievable that a several year old bike would still have OEM rubber, but it does happen that people buy bikes and the sit in a shed. Mine was one such example. bikepedia.com lists specs for many bikes (make sure you get the right year, and it can help you identify an unknown model year too, as often the paintjob is unique and bikes listed for sale don't always state the model year) and other sites may have reviewed the example listed for sale so a bit of googling or a search on bikeradar often gets a result.

-'Newbie' kit still in place. Bell on handlebar, wheel reflectors, front and rear reflectors. The sort of stuff that many more serious types might remove.

-No bottle cages installed could be a sign that a person hasn't travelled far.

-normal pedals likewise.

-(If the photos are good enough) Is there any paint wear where the cables touch the headtube? A well used bike will start to wear through the paint as it rubs when you turn the bars.

-original saddle in place. I say this only because it is often the case that saddles need changed, but this may only be apparent if some longer trips have been done.

-handlebar grips in good condition, both the ends (where the bike might be laid against a wall) and the main body of the grip.

-suspension forks. Can you see wear on the station where the forks have been moving up and down much? If not, or it is barely noticeable, could indicate the bike has not been taken offroad much. If it's obvious and scratched up then maybe it has.

Obviously other general stuff like paint condition on the downtube near the bottom bracket would show if it has been used on rocky trails much, wheel trueness, play in the bottom bracket and headset and smoothness of shifting. If it squeeks like a fieldmouse it's likely spent time sitting in the rain and/or been otherwise neglected.

[porca misèria]

I don't find it difficult to walk in my clip ins - long as its not too far.

So not suitable for, say, my blueberry-gathering.

[porca misèria]

It's more the chafing and sore bottom issue on longer rides (50k+) at decent speed that lycra and padded shorts works well. Once you give it a go you'll wonder why you ever knocked it. Remember to leave underwear off.

The right underwear does the job for me. Pants that are tighter than I'd wear for other use: tight and well-fitting to hold my vitals safely out of the way of getting crushed or involved in chafing.

How do you wash the lycra padded shorts? In the absence of underwear I imagine the time between washes must be just the one ride

[Rave]

I like footwear that works both on and off the bike. Like sandals, or at worst trainers.

You should have a look at Shimano SPD- type shoes and pedals then- specifically designed with the cleats recessed into the shoe so you can stroll around in them. I bought a compatible pair of shoes from Lidl about 4 years ago for 20 quid (though haven't got round to digging out my old pedals and putting them on my bike yet...).

[StainlessSteelCat]

If you are buying second hand, look for signs of light or heavy use:

-The paint/calligraphy on crank arms is notorious for scuffing away with even fairly light use. If it is all still there, so much the better (assuming original parts)

-Does it have its original tyres and other bits? Seems unbelievable that a several year old bike would still have OEM rubber, but it does happen that people buy bikes and the sit in a shed. Mine was one such example. bikepedia.com lists specs for many bikes (make sure you get the right year, and it can help you identify an unknown model year too, as often the paintjob is unique and bikes listed for sale don't always state the model year) and other sites may have reviewed the example listed for sale so a bit of googling or a search on bikeradar often gets a result.

-'Newbie' kit still in place. Bell on handlebar, wheel reflectors, front and rear reflectors. The sort of stuff that many more serious types might remove.

-No bottle cages installed could be a sign that a person hasn't travelled far.

-normal pedals likewise.

-(If the photos are good enough) Is there any paint wear where the cables touch the headtube? A well used bike will start to wear through the paint as it rubs when you turn the bars.

-original saddle in place. I say this only because it is often the case that saddles need changed, but this may only be apparent if some longer trips have been done.

-handlebar grips in good condition, both the ends (where the bike might be laid against a wall) and the main body of the grip.

-suspension forks. Can you see wear on the station where the forks have been moving up and down much? If not, or it is barely noticeable, could indicate the bike has not been taken offroad much. If it's obvious and scratched up then maybe it has.

Obviously other general stuff like paint condition on the downtube near the bottom bracket would show if it has been used on rocky trails much, wheel trueness, play in the bottom bracket and headset and smoothness of shifting. If it squeeks like a fieldmouse it's likely spent time sitting in the rain and/or been otherwise neglected.

Excellent advice and post.

[The Knimbies who say No]

Excellent advice and post.

Thanks, hopefully it is of some use to buyers. A couple of points have only became apparent to me after I bought a used mtb for towing a kid's trailer. I'd estimate the original owner must have done under 100 miles on it, looking at the signs of wear I've put on in a few hundred since then. I've enjoyed getting into trail riding a bit with a few days out at Coed Llandegla, with a good warm up/cool down ride to and from Wrexham station.

As to the Frank's bike dilemma, there are loads of niches in the bike market these days, if you like drop handlebars but want something a bit more robust than a normal road bike, have a look at a cyclocross bike 'CX' in the lingo, or a 'classics' bike, the latter built for the road races with sections of cobbles thrown in. Would both allow a little bit of comfort on non-road surfaces (the CX more than the classics) and neither are a hybrid. If you fancy some proper mtb trails then you'll have to get a mtb though. If it is something you think you might like, you should be able to hire a bike and try it out for a day at a local trail centre.

That said, I've both a normal road bike and a mountain bike and I'm happy with that as trails are very good fun, not that my mtb is anything special, I paid £200 used for a 2006 model. I'm not so bothered about taking my road bike on gravel paths, although it would be ok for fairly short sections.

Another vote for SPD pedals/shoes btw, you clump around a bit but they are manageable.

[happily renting]

I went on a London-Hastings ride last month along with a guy on a mountain bike; the last thing I expected anybody to show up on. He was happy and at home on it. My point being, any bike you're comfortable with is a good bike.

The only "cycling" things I wear are gloves in case I come off, and shoes, because an extra-stiff sole helps. Still use old-fashioned toeclips. On a longer ride it's nice to have clothes which don't flap around too much, and stretchy certainly helps, but you can get that without lycra and large splashy logos. I've done 1000+ mile rides without padded shorts. As they say, YMMV.

[onlylooking]

The right underwear does the job for me. Pants that are tighter than I'd wear for other use: tight and well-fitting to hold my vitals safely out of the way of getting crushed or involved in chafing.

How do you wash the lycra padded shorts? In the absence of underwear I imagine the time between washes must be just the one ride

They are sewn in so they can go through the wash with your other clothes. I have a couple of pairs in case I fancy doing a few long rides during the week. On my usual 7 mile each way work commute I'm in pants and shorts. Only get lycra'd up for longer faster rides.

That said, I've both a normal road bike and a mountain bike and I'm happy with that as trails are very good fun, not that my mtb is anything special, I paid £200 used for a 2006 model. I'm not so bothered about taking my road bike on gravel paths, although it would be ok for fairly short sections.

Another vote for SPD pedals/shoes btw, you clump around a bit but they are manageable.

I have two bikes; hybrid one for fun on trails and a proper road bike for speed.

Yep, some really nice bikes can be had quite cheaply on ebay that have had minimal use. Easily get a rrp £1,000 one for around £250. Must be the cyclescheme voucher effect when people have given up for the winter.

[funinhounslow]

If you are only going to have one bike I would echo the recommendation above and get a cyclecross. I have been conjunction on one for a couple of years and is perfect for the broken tarmac and potholes in cities and copes well with tow paths and short cuts through fields.

Aldi's sale on Thursday is a good opportunity to stock up on cheap but acceptable quality gear. Breathable t shirts are a must, and cycling shoes make a surprising difference too. Don't be tempted to remove the bell and reflectors - they're a legal requirement. In fact I have bought a pair of USB rechargeable lights and always have them on - even on the brightest summer days. A flickering front light may just catch a drivers eye before he pulls out.

[porca misèria]

I went on a London-Hastings ride last month along with a guy on a mountain bike; the last thing I expected anybody to show up on. He was happy and at home on it. My point being, any bike you're comfortable with is a good bike.

Maybe the mountain bike is all he had?

On those easy rides, people turn up on all sorts of junk (think, London-Brighton). It's just harder work on a mountain bike, or a pennyfarthing, or a 100-year-old sit-up-and-beg, or other "fun" things people bring out for the social rides.

[porca misèria]

FWIW, this does me nicely both on-road and for regular trails like those we have on Dartmoor, and the southwest coast path (the latter excluding a few stretches that are long flights of steps every couple of minutes).

[happily renting]

Indeed, it was all he had. That didn't stop him from enjoying himself, or doing what was actually a reasonably difficult ride (lots of hills) just as well as somebody on a 'proper' road bike.

[The Knimbies who say No]

They are sewn in so they can go through the wash with your other clothes. I have a couple of pairs in case I fancy doing a few long rides during the week. On my usual 7 mile each way work commute I'm in pants and shorts. Only get lycra'd up for longer faster rides.

I have two bikes; hybrid one for fun on trails and a proper road bike for speed.

Yep, some really nice bikes can be had quite cheaply on ebay that have had minimal use. Easily get a rrp £1,000 one for around £250. Must be the cyclescheme voucher effect when people have given up for the winter.

I guess by 'trails' I meant colour graded green/blue/red/black trails at a mtb centre- a hybrid may be fine on some but surely for longer/harder a hybrid would be pretty unsuited. Although....:

[Riedquat]

-'Newbie' kit still in place. Bell on handlebar, wheel reflectors, front and rear reflectors. The sort of stuff that many more serious types might remove.

The sort of stuff that you need to ride legally on the road AFAIK. What's the point in removing it?

[onlylooking]

The sort of stuff that you need to ride legally on the road AFAIK. What's the point in removing it?

No legal requirement for a bell. Only need front and rear light switched on and rear reflector when cycling at night.

[The Knimbies who say No]

The sort of stuff that you need to ride legally on the road AFAIK. What's the point in removing it?

If the bike is used on trails a lot, this kit would likely be removed as needless clutter. It's only a clue as to whether a used bike may have hard a harder life or a more relaxed existence. Bells are few and far between at trail centres, in my albeit limited experience.