[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

I may just be lucky but I've always found our local Halfords quite good.

I dropped the bike off yesterday for the rear hub to be sorted and picked it up today, to my surprise they didn't even charge me. Am avoiding the can of worms that is what counts as exercise/versus commuting etc

Nice, glad to see they did it gratis. I know Halfords gets a bad reputation but it is wholly down to the individual store. The one I was in for a year or two while at uni was great, the paint guy (when they used to mix in store) had worked in a bodyshop but got an injury which meant he struggled in that environment, the full time bike mechanic raced road and I raced MTB as well as spannering at the time fo a mate at some of the Euro World Cups. We'd always do little jobs for free, or charge just for parts etc if we were quiet and could do it quickly. One guy came in to get a puncture sorted on his bike which was absolutely hanging and left with new brake and gear cables for the cost of the parts as there was no way I was letting him out with the brakes in the state they were! Then again we all went elsewhere as soon as we could as the pay was atrocious.

Bike shops are allowed to be open, and bikes are for exercise and healthy commuting, I think you're safe on visiting them

[gangzoom]

I know virtual indoor riding is the trend right now, but nothing beats been out on the bike. Cold but quite on the way to work, dark and cold on the way home, but no one can say they cannot see me coming .

[JR1664]

Well the sun came out 'darn south, the temp went up to about 8 C so it was off the turbo and onto the road.

In the spirit of the lockdown I did 30 miles 'local' again. You see if you talk the talk you need to walk the walk and I've been doing plenty of talking lately Lovely day, just getting a little bored on my local loop but hell so much better than stuck in the garage on the turbo.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by JR1664

Well the sun came out 'darn south, the temp went up to about 8 C so it was off the turbo and onto the road.

It was tropical weather today compared to the last few weeks, headwind is still a killer though what ever temperature .

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

It was tropical weather today compared to the last few weeks, headwind is still a killer though what ever temperature .

Yup, headwinds are a total git. We got out today in the local hills which was quite good (apart from the long, slightly uphill drag round the back of the loop with...a headwind). The last time I was up there was for big running loops with my ex during last year's lockdown when it was still quite quiet. In contrast today it was ridiculously busy although we avoided the crowds where we could.

Even so it was nice to ride for the first time in over a month. Even better is that I ditched the Michelin DH22 tyres (which in winter are like dragging a boat anchor while riding through porridge) for a set of front Michelin Enduros matched with some Cush Core inserts. It's the first time running inserts but with the hideously bad Mavic EX830 rims that slice through tyres for breakfast I didn't have a choice if I wanted to go back to a thinner tyre. The difference was unbelievable. After 2k of riding the DH22's my legs have clearly got used to the heavier and draggier rubber so the climbs today felt like a breeze even though they were soft and marshy. We'll see if I stick with them once we get back to rockier terrain but I was wanting to experiment a bit with the inserts. They felt okay on the steep home-brew trails in one of the woods which were slick as anything. Imagine a bar of soap with a layer of axle grease covering it on a 45 degree hillside with sniper roots ready to catch your wheels. You were basically controlling a slightly out of control slide from corner to corner and half way down the next straight too!

[Ridg]

Originally Posted by JR1664

Well the sun came out 'darn south, the temp went up to about 8 C so it was off the turbo and onto the road.

In the spirit of the lockdown I did 30 miles 'local' again. You see if you talk the talk you need to walk the walk and I've been doing plenty of talking lately Lovely day, just getting a little bored on my local loop but hell so much better than stuck in the garage on the turbo.

In comparison to last weekend 0 degrees, it's was positively barmy yesterday!

I got 75km into a 100Km ride and had to call the team car as my tubeless tyres/sealant let me down very frustrated.

[JR1664]

Originally Posted by Ridg

I got 75km into a 100Km ride and had to call the team car as my tubeless tyres/sealant let me down very frustrated.

Sorry to hear that. At least you had a decent ride before it went wrong. I've only had to be recovered once on the road bike and that a broken spoke. I've been hit hard by the #uncture fairy lately though, sodding flint getting washed out of the fields.

[BBri89]

Originally Posted by Ridg

I got 75km into a 100Km ride and had to call the team car as my tubeless tyres/sealant let me down very frustrated.

That's a shame.

I've touch wood not had to get recovered due to a technical. I did a few years ago when I severely bonked though about 60 miles into a 70 miler.
Out of gels, out of water, out of legs.

Is there room for an inner tube in your jersey/saddlebag/anywhere else?
An inner tube + DIY tyre boot (£5 note or empty gel sachet) could get you home next time.

[BBri89]

Anyone ride with a saddle-mount water bottles that can recommend what ones?

Looking to add a double-cage for later in the year when I attempt to up my mileage and do some ultra-long (for me!!) rides where I might not be able to find places to refill.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Ridg

In comparison to last weekend 0 degrees, it's was positively barmy yesterday!

I got 75km into a 100Km ride and had to call the team car as my tubeless tyres/sealant let me down very frustrated.

Get yourself a dynaplug or Weldtite tubeless repair kit, they've plugged some decent holes in my enduro tyres to great effect. None of us bother to put tubes in now, you just use these plugs and the problem is solved. Unless of course you get a long slice, in which case an old SIS gel packet and a tube are still your friends.

[Ridg]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

Get yourself a dynaplug or Weldtite tubeless repair kit, they've plugged some decent holes in my enduro tyres to great effect. None of us bother to put tubes in now, you just use these plugs and the problem is solved. Unless of course you get a long slice, in which case an old SIS gel packet and a tube are still your friends.

I was looking at those, can you explain how they work in terms of the metal tip? Based on the guide that gets left in the tyre, surely that's then going to damage the rim tape?

[Ridg]

Originally Posted by BBri89

Anyone ride with a saddle-mount water bottles that can recommend what ones?

Looking to add a double-cage for later in the year when I attempt to up my mileage and do some ultra-long (for me!!) rides where I might not be able to find places to refill.

I've previously used the x-labs holder, the holder is fantastic and mounts securely to your saddle rails. The problem I had was our roads aren't exactly smooth so ended up losing a couple of bottles due to potholes, rubbish surfaces bouncing the bottle free, this could be down to the bottle cage / bottles though.

You could also look at fork-mounted bosses e.g. https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...1129-VERSACAGE

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Ridg

I was looking at those, can you explain how they work in terms of the metal tip? Based on the guide that gets left in the tyre, surely that's then going to damage the rim tape?

The metal tip really isn't that big so it shouldn't be coming into contact with the rim strip in any way. On the MTB tyres this obviously isn't a concern at all with the volume of the tyre but I can't see it making contact even on a road tyre. However, if you are concerned about the metal tips then the Weldtite kit may be preferable as these don't have a metal tip, albeit the prongs you force it in with may end up still making contact with the rim strip as it does tend to suddenly go in after you've put enough pressure on it.

[Blacktemplar]

I've been trying to get out as often as I can, though the weather has meant I've had to resort to the turbo more than I'd like.

Managed to get out for a 40km loop at lunchtime today in the hills, and though it started dry the rain came on and the temperature dropped to about 2C - by the time I got back I couldn't feel face, hands or feet. And that's with Gore C5 Thermo gloves and Northwave Celcius winter boots. I'm getting too old for this malarkey...

[Blacktemplar]

Originally Posted by JR1664

Sorry to hear that. At least you had a decent ride before it went wrong. I've only had to be recovered once on the road bike and that a broken spoke. I've been hit hard by the #uncture fairy lately though, sodding flint getting washed out of the fields.

Conti GP 4-seasons are your friend..... been riding those for years and have had very few visits by the PF. (kiss of death, undoubtedly)

I'm running Clement X'Plor tyres on my Cube Nuroad Pro gravel bike over the winter and they've been pretty robust so far both on and off-road. They can run tubeless, but to be honest I think it's more trouble than it's worth. Most folk I know who do, have suffered unrepairable cuts or holes at some stage, and it doesn't half make a mess. I think tubeless lulls you into a false sense of security in some ways, as I know plenty who've been caught out by not carrying a spare tube. Possibly the answer to a question that no-one was asking.....

That said, there are plenty who disagree and swear by tubeless so they can't all be wrong.

Just *most* of them......

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

Conti GP 4-seasons are your friend..... been riding those for years and have had very few visits by the PF. (kiss of death, undoubtedly)

I'm running Clement X'Plor tyres on my Cube Nuroad Pro gravel bike over the winter and they've been pretty robust so far both on and off-road. They can run tubeless, but to be honest I think it's more trouble than it's worth. Most folk I know who do, have suffered unrepairable cuts or holes at some stage, and it doesn't half make a mess. I think tubeless lulls you into a false sense of security in some ways, as I know plenty who've been caught out by not carrying a spare tube. Possibly the answer to a question that no-one was asking.....

That said, there are plenty who disagree and swear by tubeless so they can't all be wrong.

Just *most* of them......

Like anything it probably comes down to the sort of riding you do as to whether it's worth it. But it is definitely better objectively in terms of reliability, ride quality and speed - it's just whether that is worth it for you when it does go bang, as it will. One of the things a few of us used to do when we raced seriously was to have a test track. Not that long, maybe only 30s or so, but a mix of terrain and conditions that allowed us to objectively test our setup tweaks and new parts by doing 5 laps of anything new. Tubeless was always faster. In the wet you could run lower pressures, and in the dry you rolled faster.

The biggest downside with tubeless is that it can be a faff if your technique is bad (I know people who still use tyre levers for every single tyre swap; this is because their technique is bad), or if you've got a funky setup. The only two bikes I have which aren't tubeless are my road bike, which seemed not worth the effort for the once a year it gets ridden) and my 1995 Trek which has old Mavic 121 rims and Panaracer Smoke/Dart tyres. I would run tubeless on the Trek but the rims are a faff due to their internal shape and the tyres are leakier than a sieve as they weren't intended to be run tubeless. I still use them because very little else clears in the forks and frame while still having decent lugs for being out in the hills rather than looping a trail centre. My old Cove hardtail would generally get a puncture every single time I was out but once on tubeless that turned into a rarity. Of course when you get a hole you then have to deal with a latex filled tyre but for me that is worth it for the ability to smash through rocks with much less risk of a puncture, not to mention the handling and speed benefits too!

[gangzoom]

Took the long way to work today, really slippery in parts - wheel spinning a plenty in any shaded areas, really had to stay awake to stay upright!! But a great way to take the mind of anything else .

[JR1664]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

Took the long way to work today, really slippery in parts - wheel spinning a plenty in any shaded areas, really had to stay awake to stay upright!! But a great way to take the mind of anything else .

Lovely picture my friend but don't do it. Riding in conditions like that is a fast route to your local A&E ...actually its a slow route as you'll have a bloody long wait for the ambo before getting treated by your colleagues

Can you not drive in on days like this ?

[BBri89]

Ice & two wheels is never a good mix. Plenty of other days for it.

I've seen someone fall over on their bike whilst stationary unable to unclip and break their arm.

I've also seen someone break their jaw on a kerb when they fell over drunk... again not exactly a high speed incident, easily repeatable on a bike.

Risk v reward just doesn't add up imo.


I did go out myself later on today, weather was beautiful, but left it til after lunch for all that ice to melt and for most of the roads to dry. Lovely ride, but if it had been slippy would have been terrifying.

[JustChris]

Agree with the icy weather stuff.

When I used to cycle one day to work at Barclays it was a decent effort for a work day (46miles each way) so took 2hrs. This meant an 06:00 start and when I started to notice my own sweat freezing on the bike frame, it was riel to stop for winter.

Probably the only way I'd take up winter riding again is a full on Fat Bike and off-road or quiet weekends roads and cycle paths.

People have much less visibility in winter and steamy windows, low light etc. Perfect storm all round.

[gangzoom]

Yeah it was slippery, but was pretty much at walking pace for any where with ice, infact was walking at one point .

The most dangerous 'event' I've had recently was a close pass from white van man and I ended up catching them whilst under the influence of the red mist.....Luckily it all deescalated, but I much rather deal with mud/ice/snow than city traffic.

[mikeoz]

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

I've been trying to get out as often as I can, though the weather has meant I've had to resort to the turbo more than I'd like.

Managed to get out for a 40km loop at lunchtime today in the hills, and though it started dry the rain came on and the temperature dropped to about 2C - by the time I got back I couldn't feel face, hands or feet. And that's with Gore C5 Thermo gloves and Northwave Celcius winter boots. I'm getting too old for this malarkey...

I find my Perfetto ROS Castelli long sleeve pretty good for cold weather...but after 40km in your part of the world prob don't matter what you have on ....going to be cold.