Equipment
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This entry is short and sweet but hopefully useful, with a look at the 'ideal' tyre pressure to use in your road bike tyres. Traditional wisdom is that bike tyres should be very well inflated, perhaps to 8 bars (116 psi) as a reasonable guide.
We cyclists all have a small pouch underneath our saddle, with as few tools as possible squeezed in - because every tool we carry adds a few extra grams of weight. But which tools are really important when you set out on a long ride? Essentials:1. Spare innertube - much quicker to replace an innertube and easier than repairing a puncture 2. Tyre levers 2. Puncture repair kit - it's much quicker simply to replace the inner tube but sometimes things go wrong - you might miss the cause of the puncture and get another one straightaway, for example.
Shimano are the dominant manufacturer of gears, transmission and brakes for bikes (others include Campagnola, SRAM, and various smaller outfits). While many bikes bought 'off the shelf' contain a mix of products from different ranges, there is a clear pecking order for the Shimano components that you will need to be aware of if comparing bikes.
We have looked at bike pedals and why they make a difference to cycling performance. Well it is not possible to use these effective bike pedals without having 'proper' cycling shoes! The way they work is that a cleat is screwed to the bottom of your shoe, and then the cleat in some way clips onto the pedal. The exact process varies slightly, depending on the make of pedal and cleat, but generally the front of the cleat is put into/onto the pedal first, and then pushing down with your foot 'clips' the rest of the cleat into the pedal.
The issue of cycling helmets - whether to wear on or not - is always a hot topic. Reasons for:
Reasons against:
When you first decide to buy a road bike the choice can be very daunting. From bikes in the local supermarket costing £150 to those in specialist shops costing up to £5000 or more, what is the difference and what should you look for? If you haven't ridden a road bike before, or not for many years, it is not easy to 'test drive' bikes, because they will all feel 'wrong' at first. The saddle will seem uncomfortable and too high, your back might hurt, and you won't know how to change gears. Don't be deterred!
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Re: My 2010 goals
Posted on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 by Boris.Hi Olly, I only know if very local bike hire...
Re: My 2010 goals
Posted on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 by Olly.Hi Boris and Jackie, My names Olly Clarke, I...
Re: My 2010 goals
Posted on Saturday, 06 March 2010 by Jackie.Boris, thanks for that. I did a 15 mile ride...
Re: My 2010 goals
Posted on Friday, 05 March 2010 by Boris.Jackie, the first year is the one with the...