|
02/09/2010 19:48:41
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
Hi everyone Im Adam,
Im looking for a group of people to go road biking with, so the rides the club offer are ideal. I want to start road biking 1) to get fit 2) get out of the house!!!!! I'm pretty sporty/competitive so if I reach a level of fitness or capability I would love to enter some races, but that is in the distant future. In the VERY DISTANT future I want to ride a stage of the TDF. As a huge TDF fan since childhood this would be a life goal.
I'm currently a student (studying for the law conversion, post graduate) so funds are severely limited. You may have to treat me like a baby and help me through my silly questions as I am completely new to this. I've had one afternoon at the velodrome about 5 years back and since then haven't really cycled on a proper bike.
I've gone to look at bikes but wouldn't really know any real differences. So FORUM please help:
Ive had a look at this bike at Cooksons Cycles in Whitefield (North Manchester) TREK 1.2 2010 TRIPLE and a few of the TREK 1.0 family.
1) Is £599 a reasonable price for a start up bike? And is that a decent bike model?
2) do I need to get proper footwear/clothing or are my Umbro footy trainers and my United shirt enough? (silly baby questions)
3) Are there any rides happening in the North of Manchester/Lancashire (I think saw a group of you guys up at rivington this past weekend)
I think that will do for now heheheh! Thank you very much for your patience!
I hope I can get the money, to buy my bike and come on a ride and join properly!!!!!
Adam
|
|
03/09/2010 09:46:51
|
milesw
Posts 513
|
1) Is £599 a reasonable price for a start up bike? And is that a decent bike model?
Yes. Well known make and about right for starter bike I'd say, should be a good jack of all trades. Though you will get a million different opinions on anything if you asked a million different cyclists. Think about getting compact rather than bothering with triple if you think you have a reasonable fitness anyway. Google "compact or triple" for various random opinions if you're not sure of difference.
2) do I need to get proper footwear/clothing or are my Umbro footy trainers and my United shirt enough? (silly baby questions)
Proper footwear and clothing will make you a lot more comfortable and perform the job better e.g. keep warm, dry, cool a lot more efficiently. Affordable makes to look for - altura, polaris, stuff at edinburgh bicycle etc.
And a United shirt is never acceptable. In any walk of life.
3) Are there any rides happening in the North of Manchester/Lancashire (I think saw a group of you guys up at rivington this past weekend)
Sometimes. Rides are posted on the rides page, depends on who is willing to lead and ride and where they wish to go. Come along for a couple see if you like it then reach for the cheque book!
4) Should I shave my legs?
Yes. Yes, you should.
In the VERY DISTANT future I want to ride a stage of the TDF.
I like your ambition. The rest of us would be happy with a top 10 in a local road race! Write to Patrick Lefevere c/o Belgium or Jonathan Vaughters c/o America and ask if they have any jobs next July.
|
|
03/09/2010 09:54:17
|
MikeC
Posts 344
|
I disagree Miles the United shirt is very handy for getting the oil off your chain
|
|
03/09/2010 10:07:00
|
viv
Posts 2543
|
Agree with all Miles said.
I think Alan 'may' have meant riding the Etape rather than riding the actual Tour de France though i guess you never know...all those pros started somewhere.
|
|
03/09/2010 10:37:49
|
Paul
Posts 152
|
If you look through the forum long enoungh there's some old threads that you may find helpful such as:
1) Is £599 a reasonable price for a start up bike? And is that a decent bike model?
http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/Forum/topic1596-new-year-new-bicycle.aspx
http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/Forum/topic2038-bike-to-work-scheme--which-bike.aspx
I think the new Specialized Secteur is in that range
Also important to consider what sort of after sales service they give. I've heard bad reports about halfords service for boardman bikes. I've used Edinburgh and they seem pretty good although a little expensive.
2) do I need to get proper footwear/clothing?
Pedals cycling shoes and good shorts are a must have.
http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/Forum/topic1742-march-7th.aspx
http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/Forum/topic1830-tights.aspx
http://www.manchesterwheelers.co.uk/Forum/topic1729-best-shorts-for-around-3040-quid.aspx
There's also a lot of on-line end of season sales at the moment so check places like wiggle, probikekit, cyclestore
|
|
03/09/2010 14:55:04
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
Thanks everyone!! Yes I did mean the Etape and not the actual TDF hahahahaha sorry my fault!
I will check out the websites a bit later and hopefully get back to you very soon! I am rather excited about this! cant wait..........
Shaving legs: who doesn't shave their legs nowadays, its all the range with the kids!!?!?
|
|
03/09/2010 16:09:24
|
Ben_S
Posts 327
|
I dont and never will, but then I suppose i cycle more for fitness and fun rather than any particular race fetish
Agree completly with miles about the united shirt tho :p
|
|
03/09/2010 16:30:40
|
ant
Posts 1047
|
Ben_S wrote:
I dont and never will,
I'm sure most people who do said that at some point 
|
|
03/09/2010 16:45:56
|
Paul
Posts 152
|
The Etape could be interesting next year as it is the centenary of le Col du Galibier first climbed in the 1911 tdf on July 10 which is a Sunday in 2011 so a likely candidate for the Etape and if you want something to really really aim for then the Marmotte is usually the first weekend in July (2-3) the day the TDF starts this year. So you'd get to do the Col du Galibier twice in a week then time to watch some of the alp stages as well. Could be a good club trip. Maybe I'll start a new thread on this one.
edited by Paul on 03/09/2010
|
|
04/09/2010 01:04:48
|
Ben_S
Posts 327
|
ant wrote:
Ben_S wrote: I dont and never will, I'm sure most people who do said that at some point
Yeh but 90% of the time I cba to shave my face! so legs???? pah!
|
|
04/09/2010 01:12:45
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
Ben_S wrote:
ant wrote: Ben_S wrote: I dont and never will, I'm sure most people who do said that at some point Yeh but 90% of the time I cba to shave my face! so legs???? pah!
so you wax instead?! OUCHIE!!!!!
|
|
05/09/2010 11:26:58
|
Ken Workman
Posts 144
|
Now then, NOW THEN, Messrs Wilkinson and Cleary, that is quite enough ! ! !
Although I am in agreement with you that a football shirt is not the most suitable riding attire, your comments about the blessed United shirt is no way to behave on this forum and is bordering on being abusive ! ! !
Speaking as your club Vice President (and BTW a supporter of those heroes from Old Trafford for nearly 50 years) who can I report your comments to ?
|
|
05/09/2010 12:27:54
|
Ken Workman
Posts 144
|
Hi Adam:
Specific cycling clothing especially for the cooler parts of the year tends to be longer in the sleeve and in the back than non-cycling garments. However, given your circumstances, it all depends on your priorities. When I started riding in my early teens I had to make do with jeans, an ex-army jacket and layers of sweaters. For footwear I used ordinary shoes or pumps (tennis shoes) in summer, all stuff that I would now regard as completely unsuitable. At all events avoid things that flap in the breeze – you could probably manage quite happily with a track suit top.
As far as I am concerned you will be very welcome to wear your United top but as a base layer underneath. Us United fans can easily rise above the negative comments made on this forum by fans of teams that rarely, if ever, bring home the silverware. (i'm talking about YOU, Messrs. Cleary and Wilkinson).
You should wear a hat in the winter as apparently you lose a lot of body heat through your head – a helmet is a matter of your own choice, I have one but don’t always wear it.
Your choice of shoes will depend on the type of pedals fitted to your bike. The most modern type of pedals are 'clipless' and keep your feet securely connected to them via special shoes fitted with cleats fitted on the sole – no good for walking around in! Although you might find bargains on the internet you will generally find that clipless pedals and matching shoes are expensive for a (presumably hard up) student.
Alternatively, it may be that you can fit normal double sided pedals which are much more reasonably priced. You can then ride in ordinary street shoes or trainers.
With these ordinary pedals you can then choose whether to fit toe-clips and straps to them which will help to maintain your feet in the correct pedalling position. However trainers tend to have rutted soles which are not the easiest to insert into toe-clips, or more importantly, extract in a hurry when you need to stop urgently. You need not tighten the toe-straps until you feel completely secure.
At some time you will want to get some cycling shoes. If you initially choose ordinary pedals you can then decide to go for clipless pedals and cleated shoes which will be a big outlay, from what I can see it will cost you the best part of £100 for an ‘economy’ ensemble. I believe you can pay over £250 for the best shoes ! ! ! If funds are still tight you may still be able to find on the web, some non-cleat cycling shoes (which I still use). If you wish you can then attach metal plates to the soles which have a slot in them which fits onto the pedal.
Eddie McGrath Cycles in Urmston is owned and run by Wheeler’s members, they stock various items of dedicated ‘Wheelers’ club clothing and can give you better advice without any obligation to buy, plus they give club members a 10% discount on purchases.
You will gather a wealth of information from quizzing Wheeler’s members when you start to go on club-runs and although I don’t ‘do’ club-runs myself, I hope to see you out at some of our various events.
Cheers,
Ken.
|
|
06/09/2010 19:37:04
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
Hi guys/gals!
I've found this one http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/allez-16-2010-road-bike-ec019545 the reviews seem very promising, its below £500 which is ideal (what does the forum think? have you guys come across it?).... also I can get some proper shoes for £60 which is good! I have applied for my loan for this year (dont worry its not a tax dodging loan!) so will be getting the cash very soon hopefully! Also I think Ill go round to the shops round Mancr ie: Eddie M, next week to see what they can offer. CANT WAIT!
I just wanted to thank you guys for helping and to keep you up to date (and Im bored of researching for my job interviews). Hey are there any lawyers out there who could give me a Training Contract  hahahahaahahahahahahha?!?!
Anyway
See you soon
|
|
06/09/2010 20:43:20
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
Ok a real question: I seem to be attracted to the Specialized brand but I have found that the ALLEZ 16, ALLEZ 24, and the Sectuer as they are within my range. However what essentially is the difference? I know that 24 has more gears (are there only advantages to having more gears??) also what is the Sectuer compared to the Allez series? Im sorry if this is too specific
|
|
07/09/2010 00:04:07
|
Paul
Posts 152
|
So the Secteur is the new cheaper version of the Spec. Roubaix which have longer head tube lengths meaning that the handle bars sit slightly higher and you don't have to bend down so much. This should make it more comfortable for longer sportives and long club rides but gives a less areo dynamic body position than the Allez which is a more traditional racing geometry like its more expensive version the Tarmac. It depends if you want use the bike for mostly training and sportives or would also prefer to do some shorter road races.
The specialized website says the 16 is a double, with52:39 chain rings and 8 speed rear cassette and the 24 is a triple (52:42:30) with 8 speed cassette. If you want to get into peaks then the 52:39 double will be hard work on some of the climbs. If you choose this one then make sure the biggest cog on the rear cassette is a 27 or even 29 if you can get one. The triple would be good for the hills yet still have a bigger 52 for faster rides. Do they have a compact crankset option? This is a double with 50:34 chainrings which will make it alot easier on some climbs. The lower gears are almost the same as a triple but less the few extra grams of the third ring. The disadvantage of a compact is it probably won't have the legs for a fast time trial or downhill if you get up towards 30mph.
Quite a few club members have Allezs or Roubaixs
edited by Paul on 07/09/2010
|
|
07/09/2010 01:19:01
|
Ben_S
Posts 327
|
I started out on an Allez with a 50:34 paired with 11- 28 (i think)....was a great bike and that combination gave me more than enough speed on the flat or decents and enough of a gear range to climb anything in the hills around manhcester (all be it slowly at times ) stuck with the compact up until the start of this year. I would opt for that as a nice place to start and im pretty sure specialized do it as an option on most of there range??
edited by Ben_S on 07/09/2010
|
|
07/09/2010 12:56:14
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
i failed their application process  I have a job at a GP office so that'll help me with the bike stuff!!
|
|
07/09/2010 20:31:27
|
Mr T
Posts 1425
|
You failed Mcdonalds app process?????? I heard no one can fail, their turnover of staff is apparently huge O_O
|
|
07/09/2010 20:35:54
|
Shafaradam
Posts 16
|
i was joking, ive not applied.... but I have failed tescos!
|
|
pages:
1 2 |
|---|