Advice one bike buying

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Comments

  • Right FFFR, seeing as you started all this, I hope all this now clarifies things and you'll be down Sutton station later this eve hacking away at some poor sod's D-lock to make off with his 15 year old Raleigh Special avec panniers ?
  • Not ruddy likely - they've got CCTV in our town centre!

    Mind you, I'm going to take a protractor next time I go to a bike shop!
  • I think I agree with WIll re comfort, but then again what's comfortable on a ten minute trial may not be so comfortable after a longer ride, and it probably isn't going to be easy to judge how my legs will feel after a ride that long either.
  • Popsider – compared to the 80 degrees Boardman rode the hour record on and the up to 85 degrees Dan Empfield at Slowtwitch consideres optimal 74-78 degrees is still pretty relaxed!

    You can get a Cervelo P3 to 81.5 degrees!

    All I'm reallt getting at is that people seem to assume that aerobars are less comfortable than hoods or drops. They shouldn't be. If you're uncomfortable riding for long periods on your aerobars you've probably not in a good position.

    FFFR – Don't take a protractor, just go somewhere where they do a decent bike fit service, on a jig, or preferably where they let you try out a variety of frames, stems, saddles etc etc. Too many bike shops try to get away with a half hearted bike fit. And because people don't expect more, they succeed in getting it wrong. (I'm 5ft7 with short legs, and someone once tried to sell me a 56cm frame!)

  • Fade - tribars can be very comfy. My mates nodded off on his, just on a normal ride.

    I just don't think that most people could jump on a bike and ride the tribars safely.

    Even a normal position on a road bike is quite a change from a more upright MTB position.

    I'd say that start on a road bike without tribars, but have it checked that tribars would work on it ok. When some base mileage has been done, and you are confident with the bike and clipless pedals etc, then whack the tribars on.

    A bike shop by us used to sell almost every school kid a 25" frame. You'll grow into it he said !! (think he got them cheaper)
  • Cougie

    Yeeeees! I can just see me on a 25" frame – provided it had the wheels off a Fisher Price tricycle I'd just about be able to stand over it!

    I agree abuout getting comfortable on your new bike. You need to make the transition gradually, for sure. But I still hold that if you're aiming at racing tri (or du) regularly, you need to get comfortable in the aero-position as soon as possible.

    Plus, re-taping the handlebars to allow for the aerobars can be a real pain!

  • And don't forget the routing of the brake cables beneath them ! Grrr.

    I got annoyed if I left the bars on as they aren't any use on a mountainous club ride, and if I took them off, there were gaps in the tape and scratched bits where they clamp.

    Plus it took ages to get them on and set up 100%. And inevitably something would loosen off in the TT !


    Having said this. I've seen (live) 3 Tri bike courses.

    1 in North Wales - basically climbing all the time. Just a short course - 15 miles or so, and I'm not convinced that Tri bars would have been much use. Very hard climb, and a twisty tricky descent.

    1 in Chester - flattish - so tribars fine

    1 in Ironbridge - a 3 lapper with a HUGE hill to get up (39*26 !) I rode this, but on my road bike as again not too convinced about a TT bike on a course like this. I could have been wrong though. I'll put a bigger block on my TT bike for next year and see what happens !

    Might dig out my Spinaci !
  • I raced HIMUK on the low pro last year, and that had some really funky Snowdonian gradients.

    I'm a seated climber, though, so I just shorten the aerobar position (by sliding my hands back) sit well back on the saddle and churn my way up the climbs Ullrich-style (only much slower obviously).

    I'm kinda famous for 'inapproriate gear choices' myself. My current commuting bike has a 53x14 fixed and a 53x16 single free. Thinking of moving up to a 55 next year!
  • My Giant has a triple with an 11-26 - I live in a hilly area :o)
  • 53*14 ????

    My fixed is a 42 * 17 !!

    How the heck do you manage with that ?? I can still beat people up hill on mine, complete with guards, but I can't spin it out that fast (and I teach spin as well !)

    WW - triple. Could have done with one of those in the Alps !
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    Yeh I def recommend sliding the seat back a little so you're a little behind the pedal on long, hilly bike legs. Also, standard handlebars are much better than bull-horns - you can get more of a grip and pull up-hill.
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • I pedal very slowly!! I also have quads the size of most runner's waists, which helps!

    In truth I tend to use the 53x16 single more, because it's safer in traffic.

    The 53x14 is for big gear work on the turbo (British Team style)
  • I'm sure I'd just fall off at every lights if I was on a 53*16 everywhere !

    OOooh - that sounds painful. Spin like Lance ! How are your knees ?
  • Knees are okay, I tend to pedal smoothly and keep my knees loose (another reason for being a bit further back on the saddle.

    But I have two other bikes. They have a full range of gears (53/39x11-23) and I do all my long rides and tempo stuff on those.

    I tend towards bigger gears in races, and smaller gears in training (esp. long rides).
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    [Jj, a runner despite appearances to the contrary, looks incredulously at her waist and wonders about Fade's trousers]
  • I like to keep by spining tempo up - i only use the small on my tripple on realy big steep climbs
  • Typical - JJ always thinking trousers !

    Wonder if Triples will ever become the norm for the Tour riders ?
  • DazDaz ✭✭✭
    im intrigues about the gear ratios. i dont know anything abou them, just move up and down as i see fit. but im going to check my racing bike out tonight.

    just a case of counting along the chain rings right?
    Endurance Coach @ DazCarterFitness.com
    Elite Ironman, Ultra Trail Runner
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    Thighs as big as my waist? Just ain't right, Cougs...unless he meant YOUR waist.
  • i'v got clafs the size of cougie waist :o)
  • I think he has an all !
  • is "clafs" welsh for something rude ?
  • its dyslexic for calfs (or is it calves)
  • Yeah which is it - calfs or calves?
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    I've probably got calves the size of Will's waist since I've been trying to run up hills.
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    um...not that Will's waist is particularly big, of course...







    {Jj trots off to borrow Barkles' spade from FFF, just to dig a little deeper]
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