Any of you Tossers ride a pushbike?

Twotter said:
Just been out today and got a quote for the C2W scheme, so that should see me on my first road bike in a couple of weeks time :thumb2
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That's how I bought mine, no intention of riding the 12 miles to work though. Maybe if I didn't work 12 shifts I'd have a go.
 
13.8 miles tonight :)

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Lovely.
 
Timaloy said:
It's a win-win. The more you ride the more weight you'll lose. The more weight you lose the easier the ride becomes & the more you enjoy it. Don't be fooled, every pound lost is worth it.
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You'd think that, but losing weight doesn't make it easier it just means you go faster. I still sweat and pant just as much as I did a year ago when I weighed over 3st more.
 
Simon_h said:
You'd think that, but losing weight doesn't make it easier it just means you go faster. I still sweat and pant just as much as I did a year ago when I weighed over 3st more.
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Lol, but if you went at the same speed as before you'd find it much easier than when you weighed 3 stone more. :thumb
 
MIKA said:
Picking up a 2014 Giant Defy 1 on Saturday, never had a road bike before but now in a position that I can use it a couple of days a week to commute which in turn will help with my fitness to use my MTB which I have only been really playing on the last couple of years

Biggest decision now is what colour to get, Blue or Black, shop are ordering and building up both colours and I will decide on Saturday which one to take :beerjug:
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Fantastic starter bike ..... I've got a 2013 Defy 1 which i've had for nearly a month now .... Make sure you take an allen key set out on your first ride ... i know it took me about 30 miles of stop starting and seat adjustment to try and find my riding sweet spot ... so do per-server ...
 
Timaloy said:
Lol, but if you went at the same speed as before you'd find it much easier than when you weighed 3 stone more. :thumb
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yep...I can't do that. If the thighs aren't burning or if I'm not sounding like a steam train I'm not trying hard enough.
 
I did the Tarka trail from Torrington to Barnstaple and back starting at 7am this morning on the Scott I purchased Monday. 29 miles and the furthest I have ever cycled. Fantastic scenary riding along the river Torridge at the top of a big spring tide :cool: Going form the Halford Hybrid to the Scott is like going from a Ford Anglia to a modern Mercedes, they both do the same job but one does it so much better and more comfortably. After reading this thread I bought a pair of clip on shoes to match the pedals that came with the bike, it felt very awkward and odd to start with and I nearly fell off at a gate that was held open by a women cyclist for me because I couldn't go down the gears, avoid a dog walker and unclip at the same time, fortunately brute force got my foot unclipped just in time to save me going over :eek:
Despite my better judgement I also bought a pair of lycra shorts: the sweat keeps the sensitive dangley things lubed and best of all no chaffing. Just got to get my arse used to being on the saddle for long periods now. :D
 
Devon said:
Despite my better judgement I also bought a pair of lycra shorts: the sweat keeps the sensitive dangley things lubed and best of all no chaffing. Just got to get my arse used to being on the saddle for long periods now. :D
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Use Chamois Cream or Udder Cream.

:thumb

I have just upgraded my Lycra-wear. I started with a cheap Decathlon pair which are fine for rides of up to about 20 miles. But now I have upgraded to a mid-range pair of Endura FS260 Pro Shorts which have much better padding for those delicate bits down below.
 
Beemerman59 said:
And does anyone know why my left hand/arm keeps going numb after about 10 miles and not the right?
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Bike riding can imbalance the neck muscles (scalenes especially) these can impinge nerves into the arm. Ulnar nerve is common (affects little fingers). Median afftects tip to thum and first finger. Radial can cause cramps in wrist extensor muscles and numbness in back of hand. If the whole arm is numb/cold it could be the blood supply is restricted over first rib and collar bone. People with a healed collar bone fracture are more at risk.

If symptoms change when turning or tilting the head its likely to be neck or shoulder issues catching nerves.
 
My bike is a used Cannondale Jekyll 1000 that I paid £350 for plus another £50 to sort out the gears. I got a bike with Lefty front end, FoxPro shock and Hope brakes that originally cost around £2000 for about 20% of that. I would like a Rohloff hub but cost is prohibitive.

Its pretty fast with road tyres. Its never going to be full on road bike but a lot more fun IMO.
 
Greg Masters said:
Use Chamois Cream or Udder Cream.

:thumb

I have just upgraded my Lycra-wear. I started with a cheap Decathlon pair which are fine for rides of up to about 20 miles. But now I have upgraded to a mid-range pair of Endura FS260 Pro Shorts which have much better padding for those delicate bits down below.
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Get out of the saddle and honk to allow the blood to circulate and the sweat to dry out. Get a proper slim saddle. Don't make the mistake of getting a big saddle with gel inserts. It becomes more comfortable when you get the miles into your saddle and backside.

You get what you pay for with cycle clothing. If you have plenty of dosh take a look at the Assos kit.
 
Duchess said:
Ooh I was about to post asking some advise from you all about push bikes.

I need to buy one soon and thought about using the cycle to work scheme and wondered if anybody could offer me some advice on the fold up versions.

My parking rights are being withdrawn in September so I dont have much of a choice ....

The idea is that I drive most of the route into work (its quite a distance from the village where I live to the City), park up on the road a couple of miles on the outskirts and bike the rest into town but wondered if anybody had bought any fold up versions with or without the battery pack.

Would welcome some sound advice please.
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I used to have a Brompton 5 speed for just that sort of job. Its not particularly fast but rides almost as well as a normal bike and folds/unfolds in 15 seconds. I bought it for a railway commute into Birmingham city centre. I did about 3 or 4 miles at each end of the rail journey. Day 1 was tough but after 2 weeks I was well into it.

Bromptons are not cheap but have good resale value so less cost in the long run than cheaper alternatives. Check out prices on eBay!

I found the gear range was limited on my 5 speed (the 6 speeds is just as bad). Hills were struggle but top gear was still not high enough. On balance, a smaller ring gear would have been better for me. It cried out for a multi speed rear hub. Get a basic bike and have a Shimano 8 speed fitted (or 11 speed if funds allow). Also fit a kevlar back tyre - mine was quite a puncture magnet.

I eventually sold mine for almost what I paid for it and bought the Cannondale mountain bike. Its a lot more fun but a lot less convenient so probably gets less use than the Brompton would have got.
 
Bendy toy said:
My bike is a used Cannondale Jekyll 1000 that I paid £350 for plus another £50 to sort out the gears. I got a bike with Lefty front end, FoxPro shock and Hope brakes that originally cost around £2000 for about 20% of that. I would like a Rohloff hub but cost is prohibitive.

Its pretty fast with road tyres. Its never going to be full on road bike but a lot more fun IMO.
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I lot of fun off road but a waste of time as a road bike. Bit like riders buying off road motorcycles and never going of road.:nenau
 
The outright speed would be nice to have, but I cant get on with dropped handlebars or the arse up head down riding position. A full on roadie is no use for me.

My Cannondale has semi off road tyres with a road tread down the middle and knobbles on the sides. They are ok off road and even wet grass, but wont cope in serious mud. I also have some proper knobbly off road tyres that are quick to fit but hardly ever needed them. The disc brakes get a lot of use in town traffic & well worth having compared to rim brakes. The gear range is great for towing a kiddy trailer. It works well in places like Cannock Chase trails where I can keep up with much better riders on lesser machinery. The lack of road drag lets me ride there and back rather than having to trailer it.

The quality front suspension really makes the ride more comfortable on canal towpaths, footpaths and pothole infested back roads. The FoxPro back end is def overkill for 90% of the time but the overall package was a fair compromise for what I paid.

It cost me the same as a reasonable hybrid and I feel was overall a much better value deal.
 
Horses for courses and you have obviously have a bike that suits your needs. The main thing is that you are out there and riding.

So many riders commit themselves to equipment that is totally unsuited to what they need. A shame when the bike ends up at the back of the garage and the hobby is abandoned.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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