2020 cycling thread

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Just purchased my first hybrid/road bike

What's people average bike ride distance. Usually been going around 10 miles on my old mountain bike.

It also depends on what sort of riding you did on your mountain bike. There are trails around Gunnerside for example where ten miles is hard graft.
Hop on a road bike with skinny tyres at a high pressure and your rolling resistance means you can get much further on similar effort.
 


I've just got a new gravel bike. Bought it online which I know isnt ideal for such a purchase but these arent normal times. Anyhow, bike seems great, but noticed both wheels arent perfectly straight. They're not bad, dont hit breaks, but ever so slightly off. Is this normal?

I can remember last bike I had a few years back wheels were never fully right, but paid a bit more for this and kind of thought it would all be spot on.
 
Just purchased my first hybrid/road bike

What's people average bike ride distance. Usually been going around 10 miles on my old mountain bike.

work days an hour to hour and a half and days off work generally three and a quarter to four hours.
normally works out about 11-13 hours a week
 
I've just got a new gravel bike. Bought it online which I know isnt ideal for such a purchase but these arent normal times. Anyhow, bike seems great, but noticed both wheels arent perfectly straight. They're not bad, dont hit breaks, but ever so slightly off. Is this normal?

I can remember last bike I had a few years back wheels were never fully right, but paid a bit more for this and kind of thought it would all be spot on.

Doesn't sound good if they are new. I'd be wanting that put right. And not at your cost. Sounds to me that the spokes just need adjusting, but get the opinion of someone who knows the score.

Buckled my front wheel while on holiday. Was pretty bad, i thought. I could just barely ride it back to camp. Took it to a local shop and bloke fixed it spot on in 5 minutes while i waited. Still spot on 3 years later.
 
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Doesn't sound good if they are new. I'd be wanting that put right. And not at your cost. Sounds to me that the spokes just need adjusting, but get the opinion of someone who knows the score.

Buckled my front wheel while on holiday. Was pretty bad, i thought. I could just barely ride it back to camp. Took it to a local shop and bloke fixed it spot on in 5 minutes while i waited. Still spot on 3 years later.
Thanks mate. Took it out for a bit of a ride yesterday which I probably shouldnt have done but just wanted to get out and use it. Will drop them a line and see what they say. Cycle shop is stokesley which has a decent reputation so hopefully they'll be pretty sound.
 
Thanks mate. Took it out for a bit of a ride yesterday which I probably shouldnt have done but just wanted to get out and use it. Will drop them a line and see what they say. Cycle shop is stokesley which has a decent reputation so hopefully they'll be pretty sound.
It is a simple and very quick job to true a wheel for someone who knows what they are doing. Just because the wheels are out of true doesn't mean there is anything wrong with them - once they have been tweaked for true & tension they will be fine. And you aren't going to do any damage riding on them as they are. Having said that, you would expect new wheels to be OK out of the box but It's not unusual for wheels to need some minor tweaking after the first few rides (most common with the cheaper variety). It's one of the reasons why if you buy a new bike from your lbs they will ask you to bring it back after the first 500 miles or so for them to check it over.
 
So what is everyone's reaction to the new changes to Strava? I'm too tight to have ever paid for the premium service (I'm a pensioner yerknaa). Is there an alternative that I should maybe consider? I'm not interested in the competitive/analytic features of Strava - I just use it to log miles (or km, actually), view my own times vs previous results & have a nosey at what my mates are up to.
 
So what is everyone's reaction to the new changes to Strava? I'm too tight to have ever paid for the premium service (I'm a pensioner yerknaa). Is there an alternative that I should maybe consider? I'm not interested in the competitive/analytic features of Strava - I just use it to log miles (or km, actually), view my own times vs previous results & have a nosey at what my mates are up to.


I use it for the same as you basically...never have paid for it and don't plan to.
If I was more serious about training/racing etc there are other options I would be using in anycase
 
So what is everyone's reaction to the new changes to Strava? I'm too tight to have ever paid for the premium service (I'm a pensioner yerknaa). Is there an alternative that I should maybe consider? I'm not interested in the competitive/analytic features of Strava - I just use it to log miles (or km, actually), view my own times vs previous results & have a nosey at what my mates are up to.

ViewRanger. I’ve used Strava and ViewRanger for ten years and ViewRanger is my go to app. The app itself is free and comes with a host of free maps and a premium subscription if you want.
 
Just started getting out on my road-ish bike, new pedals and shoes for first time. Anyone recommend a good quiet circular sround durham dales? Was thinking of starting from park n ride, 40ish mile? Cheers

Apologies that its google rather than strava/RWGPS / etc


a little under 40, mostly quiet roads or cycle track (with the exception of the start, but there is the 'cycle footpath')

if you wanted to get a little closer to 40 then towards the end you could rejoin the track at Langley and come off again at the bottom of Toll House road and loop back to the P&R that way

Charlaw and Wilks Hill for added fun
 
So what is everyone's reaction to the new changes to Strava? I'm too tight to have ever paid for the premium service (I'm a pensioner yerknaa). Is there an alternative that I should maybe consider? I'm not interested in the competitive/analytic features of Strava - I just use it to log miles (or km, actually), view my own times vs previous results & have a nosey at what my mates are up to.
Depends its very vague on the update, If I can continue just to see my times and historical times along segments etc I will be happy as only compete with myself.
 
So what is everyone's reaction to the new changes to Strava? I'm too tight to have ever paid for the premium service (I'm a pensioner yerknaa). Is there an alternative that I should maybe consider? I'm not interested in the competitive/analytic features of Strava - I just use it to log miles (or km, actually), view my own times vs previous results & have a nosey at what my mates are up to.

I was on Strava an hour ago and didn't notice anything jumping out at me. I'm a bit averse to paying for any special features. Too slow to amount to anything.

But is there not a "social account" option on the Garmin website ? I am private on Garmin and it still exports to Stava, which i have set at public. Suits me.
 
A few years ago I took off my Garmin monitor (it was actually stolen) and I never use my apps any more.

I actually enjoy cycling more without all the data. I’m not fussed how many miles I’ve done or what my average speed is. It’s like removing Facebook from your life 😁
 
A few years ago I took off my Garmin monitor (it was actually stolen) and I never use my apps any more.

I actually enjoy cycling more without all the data. I’m not fussed how many miles I’ve done or what my average speed is. It’s like removing Facebook from your life 😁

The odd times I've rode without it are the best, only currently using it as been off the bike for a few years and want to see improvements until I am at a fitness level I am satisfied with and its kind of helping me push on rather than just tootle along. I wish Id never stopped but fell out of love with cycling for a bit
 
Apologies that its google rather than strava/RWGPS / etc

a little under 40, mostly quiet ro...at way Charlaw and Wilks Hill for added fun
Nice one mate. Done a similar loop today. Tried to re-enact the Durham Beast! Ended up starting at newton hall, up trho burnhope to Consett, down thro Knitsley, Satley to Wolsingham which was mainly quiet roads with some canny hills! Road back was mainly main roads thro crook, willington and Brancepeth. Cracking day and will give that a go next time. Cheers
 
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This evening I stripped down & rebuilt a Chorus shifter. I think I've got the ratchet spring tension wrong so I've packed in for now and resorted to bourbon therapy. I'll have another go tomorrow & report back on subsequent progress.
The LH shifter has started slipping and my lbs has decided to stop repairing Campag Ergo 10sp stuff. So how hard can it be? I don't think I've lost any of the bits yet.
 

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