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Road Cycling


davey1991

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I've found ctc.org.uk and retrobike to be the best places for 2nd hand road gear, everywhere else just tends to be the same adverts other than ebay and gumtree.

Have you searched for some roadie groups on Facebook? Might be some local who can hook you up.

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100 miles a week is pretty doable. It's only 10 miles each way x 5 days. Still, it'll keep you fit and should be pretty enjoyable in this weather. There are lots of second hand road bikes on eBay, but like you say the problem is your height, and there will only be the odd one or two that would fit you. Might be easier to buy new if you can afford it - road bike prices don't seem to decrease so much second hand anyway (compared with mountain bikes/trials bikes).

For me, SPDs definitely. Probably MTB SPDs for commuting (cleats are easier to walk in). Again, lycra yes for me, but it's optional. As soon as you get over the looks, you realise it's comfier and more aerodynamic / efficient. If you commute a lot on one bike, it's worth getting mudguards and consider a rack. It just makes it a lot nicer for when the weather's not brilliant. At the moment I've taken my mudguards off, but I got caught in a massive shower last week and got soaked from road spray. Unless it's completely pouring, the road spray onto you is more significant than the rain falling from above.

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I was in a similar situation to you a month or so ago, i wanted to start cycling to work (keep fit + fun, 20 mile round trip per day.) i was looking around for weeks for a second hand bike (around the £250 - £300 mark) but as said above they do hold there value more than your average mountain bike. What with trying to find one local, correct size and the right price i just gave up and went down the road of buying new. After a bit of reaseach i brought a "Btwin triban 3" new from decathlon. £300.00 brand new!! IMO complete bargain for the quality of bike you get!! Way better than anything from halfords for a simlar price. Infact at one point i was willing to spend just over the £400 mark but still could not find anything better than the Triban 3 at £300.

Unless you can spend upwards of £450 + its defo worth considering.

Just though id add my 2 pence.... ;)

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I agree with the spd's, especially if you're in a hilly area, they make so much difference going uphills. I used to have to do quite a hilly route running 44-14 and I'd never have managed without the ability to pull up on the pedal strokes!

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Picked up some new forks for my bike the other day, a brand new set of full carbon fibre jobbies. Had a bit of a nightmare tracking down a topcap and headset tensioner that'd fit inside the steerer but managed to get an ITM bung that fits perfectly. The A-C was about 40mm lower with these on so I fitted another 20mm of stem stackers to raise the bars a little and now it feels really nice to ride especially for getting down low on, forks have also saved me just shy of 800g from the front end which is a massive relief.

Front brake reach is a bit too big now but I planned on swapping them for some decent calipers anyhow so now I have the excuse!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Americans that don't even know their left from their right... Odd accident seeing as the guy in the Prius was on the wrong side of the road on what appears to be a closed road but the fact you have riders returning on the left sidewhile riders are still heading the other way, with no barrier or anything to separate it is also a bit stupid.

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Get bibs, they will stay in place and won't slip down. Once you have a top on no one can tell if you are wearing bibs or shorts, either way you are still wearing Lycra :P

I wear leg warmers when it's cold and if it is really cold I put baggies on over the top. I might buy some long leg winter bibs one day but I already own too much Lycra!

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Bib shorts all the way. Wear a base layer underneath them on top to stop the straps chaffing your nipples, Unless you happen to like that kind of thing. I've got altura bib shorts, they are excellent. The sports direct stuff is shite, it doesn't cushion you at all. You need some with a gel insert. For my riding top, I've got the shops own team top, just a road version of the mtb one I wear for trials.

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Ordered a set of bib shorts and matching top from one of the Chinese sellers off eBay. Blatantly obvious that it's a fake as I've ordered a Fox Racing design but all the others were replica race kit which I'm not a fan of having no interest in road racing whatsoever!

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I find it slightly embarrassing to say that I've got a few different lycra bits (bib shorts, bib long trousers, bib 3/4 length trousers) but anyway, the 3/4s are the ones I wear by far most often in UK weather.

They're all different brands.

The long ones are Gore, they're very nicely made

3/4s are DHB, also pretty nice (but slightly strange sizing which I knew before ordering so all was well).

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We had Chris Boardman in the tunnel a couple of months back to film some snippets for the Tour coverage which is now being aired. Some good info put across:

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/chris-boardman-ned-wind-tunnel-cycling-aerodynamics-airflow/

http://www.itv.com/tourdefrance/features/chris-ned-wind-tunnel-tour-de-france-2/

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Getting my boardman tomorrow! Though I did have to tolerate the *thesaurus' polite version of retard* boneheads who work at Halfords. I spoke to them a few times and they couldn't understand that I wanted to know a little about the bike and how it rode before spending 950£! And after agreeing to buy it and getting a British Cycling membership, upon their advice, they said the deals dont stack. Idiots.

Told them I wanted a Boardman but they were making it awkward for me to choose such a company to supply the bike so they pulled their finger out a little. Got the Boardman CX Team for £770ish. It's a shame such a good reviewed brand fell into the hands of some pinheads.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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