Cycling thread

SerenityNigh said:
Still enjoying it? I am looking for a gravel bike and that's a competitive price (although I have not looked at their delivery to US costs...) but the build I want is only offered with a 1x and I don't want a 1x.
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Yep, had a few issues actually and not best pleased that the bike came with them but they're an easy fix. Ribble's aftercare is really good, though, they rang to check up on it a few days after arrival etc and have been very good about the problems (as they should be, mind).

Got out on it yesterday in the hills and was a good ride, just didn't have a lot in me. Did a 55k to Leeds and back today and felt very smooth.

It's so quick off the mark for sprints and climbs, just so light.
 

Just bought a Planet X carbon road bike. Spent all last year on my mountain bike but racking up the miles was hard so bit the bullet on my first ever road bike!
Any tips on shoes/cleats and pedals would be appreciated. I don't want to spend much on them tbh, I'd rather get through this year and next with them and then upgrade to some decent ones once I'm up and running.
 
Sliced Bread said:
Just bought a Planet X carbon road bike. Spent all last year on my mountain bike but racking up the miles was hard so bit the bullet on my first ever road bike!
Any tips on shoes/cleats and pedals would be appreciated. I don't want to spend much on them tbh, I'd rather get through this year and next with them and then upgrade to some decent ones once I'm up and running.
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Do you have cleated shoes on your mtb? The easiest would be to get some pedals that work with those in the first instance. I've always had spd pedals on my commuter to make walking easier. Easy enough to change if you get into it.
 

Sliced Bread said:
Just bought a Planet X carbon road bike. Spent all last year on my mountain bike but racking up the miles was hard so bit the bullet on my first ever road bike!
Any tips on shoes/cleats and pedals would be appreciated. I don't want to spend much on them tbh, I'd rather get through this year and next with them and then upgrade to some decent ones once I'm up and running.
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SPD pedals mate. They vary between £40 and £60 usually.

www.wiggle.co.uk

PD-RS500 SPD-SL Road Pedals

Buy your Shimano PD-RS500 SPD-SL Road Pedals - Clip-in Pedals from Wiggle. Our price £57.99. Free worldwide delivery available.
www.wiggle.co.uk www.wiggle.co.uk

I'm sure you'd be able to find for less in over places, though!

If you don't have cleated shoes for your MTB (I guess not if it was just a standard MTB, you'd just have standard flat pedals?) then I'd say buy a pair of SPD pedals and you can always use them on the MTB too if you'd like and rotate (unless you're really wanting to give it some off road on the MTB, then guess you'd need proper 'trail/gravel pedals). Personally when I cycle off road, I don't really like using cleats, as the paths round me are quite sharp and often busy with walkers. That'll change when I save up to buy a gravel bike but that's a long way off for now (well, maybe not too long at this rate :D - the bug gets you!)

Cleats you can get for about a tenner on ebay brand new, on wiggle they're about £18 IIRC.

Shimano cleats are the ones, and you want the yellow brackets as they're the best for rookie riders (reds are what the pros use I believe).

www.wiggle.co.uk

SPD SL Cleats

Buy your Shimano SPD SL Cleats - Cleats from Wiggle. Our price £20.99. Free worldwide delivery available.
www.wiggle.co.uk www.wiggle.co.uk

Again, those are the road version but you can get specific MTB ones too.

The shoes, well personally I love the Shimanos I've recently bought, which are these: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-rc100-road-shoes

But you can get plenty cheaper I believe. DPD do a good range: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-dorica-road-shoe

For the winter, then there's overshoes etc too - https://www.wiggle.co.uk/cycle/overshoes

What I'd say is, don't go cheap for the sake of it. It's probably better to get good stuff that will last, but might cost a tad more. Once you get used to them, you'll be fine with them (it was weird when I went back to using flats for an off-road ride a few weeks ago, tbh).
 
@SerenityNigh bit of an update on my ribble mate.

I've had two really smooth rides on it but three really bad ones.

The saddle wasn't in properly, and nearly flung me off going very quickly down a hill last Friday. Managed to sort it - had to basically restructure the entire seat and push it forward in the bracket.

Another issue then arose on Wednesday, when the clip holding my front derailer in place just fell out, wouldn't clip back in and the wire became all frayed as it went against my back wheel and leg.

Ribble's aftercare are on it but tbh not been chuffed that I've got a bike that seems like stuff was just a bit out. It's only small things (albeit in the saddle case, a very dangerous one).
 
Think my body is missing the bike commute - getting a lot of man-at-desk back and hip issues this past year. My commute ride wasn't long, about 20-25 mins flat, but think it does a lot of good in getting some regular movement into the hips first thing.

OTOH it's easier to get on the turbo without the commute junk miles - could be hard climbing on for a sesh after commuting home in the rain.
 

Bruce Wayne said:
3 in a row for Cavendish and Pidcock wins Brabantse Pijl.
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Massive win for Pidcock that - putting Wout and Trentin away in the sprint is true elite riding.

Seems like a lock to win a GT in the future, has all the tools, just unknown at this point whether he has that mega-endurance to hang in the high mountains day in day out, with no bad days.
 
Any tips on pedaling/stroke form? Or is this just a neuromuscular change that takes time? When I’m not thinking I find myself mashing the pedals but if I concentrate I can do upstrokes, until I hit a harder effort and revert to mashing. I’ve read about concentrating on smooth circles but that doesn’t yet feel intuitive.
 

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