moonoi

 
Thanks for the advice. I went to my LBS this weekend and picked up a pair of cycling shorts and a torque wrench, adjusted the seat angle "up" a few degrees and went for a ride on the Skylane.  It was "odd" at first wearing the shorts without underwear as advised in so many YouTube videos but I kinda got used to it. Overall I think these two adjustments helped but I still might have to play the "saddle lottery" as there's still some discomfort after a while.
 
sidenote: this past Sunday must've been a rough weekend for the Skylane as I rode past 3 different multi-person wrecks. From a ride by glance the worst was a fellow who had his arm wrapped in bandages to secure it to his upper torso (possibly a fracture or dislocation?)

As ttakata says, get yourself a good pair of cycling bibs/shorts if you haven't already. They'll go a long way to improving ride comfort.

The other issue could simply be the angle of the saddle, or just that your backside isn't yet used to it yet.


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You could almost rest a cup of coffee and a cake on it too [emoji4]

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Is the aerodynamic wing handlebar to give you more downforce on the front wheel?

I finally have some nice pics to share, I sold my TT bike and bought an aluminium bike for racing, as I'm getting in to that as I lose weight and get fitter, I don't want to crash the Colnago ;-)

So I took the new bike to Rayong with me for a first ride, Saturday was a bit wet and a 65km ride along the coast, Sunday was lovely and a shorter 25km where I went in search of a hill, which I found with an average gradient of 10% over 5km followed by a fast blast along the beach front.







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I can never understand the mindset of people who Cycle in Bangkok; the climate and pollution alone must surely be a major, possibly life threatening problem.

That said I certainly condemn the BMA and others who cordon off what could be useful road space in an already crowded traffic environment to accommodate these people.

What on earth are you trying to demonstrate?

A more "energy efficient" way to get to work?

Great in principle - until you arrive at the Office sweating and stinking of traffic fumes then, I guess, expect your Company to provide shower and changing facilities to accommodate your strange fetish before you start work.

Just as an example. a couple of years ago I contracted with a Math teacher - a Farang - to tutor my son after school; he, the prospective teacher, lived in Lad Prao, we live in Asoke. The first day the fool arrived he had obviously decided to Cycle from his home to mine. He stank to high heaven and I refused him access to my home.and cancelled the agreement.

What are these people thinking of if they imagine turning up for work in this state is in any way acceptable, and why do they imagine that whole sections of roads in Bangkok should be given over to their minority hobby??

\

Patrick

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I ride on the road, as the design of these bike lanes is dangerous, and then you have motorcycles riding the wrong way down them, cars and trucks parking and blocking the way.

Good idea in principle, but crap in its execution.

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Does seem like an over the top and silly way to "protect" your investment.

Part of the the reason I have the bike I have is because I love the way it looks, and it gets me out on my bike more.

Also if you decide later that you want to change it and sell it on, you've wiped a massive amount off the value of the bike, if indeed you could sell such a defaced bike.

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Awesome awesome bike!! C60?

Yes, it is

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So I had to find some better views to compete :-) From this morning....

Just left my house and headed out east for about an hour before returning via a different route, about 73km and 2.5 hours of riding including stopping for much needed refreshments [emoji6]

The best flat resistant tyres are continental Gatorskins and cost 2000 per tyre.

If you want something cheaper then there is also Vittoria Rubino Pro Speed G+ at 1500 baht, but even with the new graphene that is supposed to make them lighter and more flat resistant I suffered a cut to the rear tyre that went straight through the puncture resistant strip and wrote the tyre off after just 200 km

Michelin have just replaced their Pro4 range with the Power, haven't seen them available here yet so no prices, but the Power Endurance might be the one to look for

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Can't see the original video for some reason, so not sure what he is apologizing for.

But can some Thai scooter rides now apologize for riding the wrong way along roads and putting everyone else in danger too? :-p

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Had a quick ride this morning not far from home, still doesn't look as nice as your roads villagefarang ;-)

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One thing I don’t like about road bikes, is not being able to walk a short ways to take a better photo. Even stepping off the road for a pee can leave the bottom of the bike shoe clogged and unable to clip in. Then you have to find a small stick and start digging the crap out of the spaces.

Which cleats are you using? If shimano, or speedplay, they have little covers that fit in your jersey that you can slide on to prevent this problem.

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I definitely dont live in the city. Most of my mountain bike riding was on dirt farmer trails through rice fields and in the hills where I live. When it was dry, it was very dusty. When it rained some trails had standing water and the clay in some areas would stick to everything.

....

I think I prefer the look of the tarmac.... No wonder you manage longer distances on the road bike!

Edit: I've just re commissioned my MTB, and intend to fit it out with basket and carriers for running errands, but I'll also have a go at some dirty back-road (can I say that on the internet?) cycling along the pylon reserves

I'll get my coat.....

It is indeed boring, I use it for training rides though where I don't have to worry about traffic getting in the way. The strong winds also make it very challenging as it's very exposed. I normally go early morning or late afternoon/early evening.

Not so hard to ride to, but there is a big car park as well if you prefer to drive there.

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Ever so slightly jealous of the good roads you have to ride!

Best I could do was circle the airport in Bangkok 3 times!

A view from the Skylane....

I'm getting ready to move/retire to Thailand and looking for any recommendations where in Thailand (preferably either in BKK or Pattaya area) to purchase a mountain bike (vs shipping my current bike to Thailand)?

Lots of places, but depends on what you actually want. Some models are more expensive here, or not even available, plus if you need larger sizes I'd recommend bringing your bike with you instead, as it can be a challenge to get what you want when you're taller than the average Thai

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I'm getting ready to move/retire to Thailand and looking for any recommendations where in Thailand (preferably either in BKK or Pattaya area) to purchase a mountain bike (vs shipping my current bike to Thailand)?

Lots of places, but depends on what you actually want. Some models are more expensive here, or not even available, plus if you need larger sizes I'd recommend bringing your bike with you instead, as it can be a challenge to get what you want when you're taller than the average Thai

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serveimage.jpg

Are you talking about this ridiculous contraption.

Now that's perfect for cycling around Bangkok

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I should think that these tyres don't pick up as many punctures. I seem to average about one a week where I cycle on my normal mountain bike tyres. You'd also need disc brakes with them at a guess.

Have you tried going tubeless?

I have had five punctures in the two months that I have owned my road bike. Several punctures on my MTB. None of the bike shops seem to have heavy duty puncture resistant tires and/or tubes. Only cheap Chinese made crap. I have gotten fed up and ordered off eBay two Kevlar clad, heavy duty, puncture resistant Michelin road bike tires made in Germany. Also several puncture resistant tubes to go with them. The tires are called 'Gator Skins'. The tubes are by Continental tire. No more punctures, I hope. Shop in the USA is called Bikesmith.

I've also used Bontrager R3, Continental GP4000S/S2, Vittoria Open Corsa/Rubino Pro/Rubino Pro Speed G+ all without any issues, although never lower than 90psi to avoid pinch flats on the dodgy Bangkok roads. All available locally.

Stay away from Veloflex tyres, look great, superb grip in wet and dry, but the casing is so thin you pick up punctures almost every ride.

Look up fat bikes on Google. They are meant for use on sand/snow originally, large volume tyre with low pressure gives better grip.

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Yep , but when riding on tarmac with them it's like peddling through treacle.

The commentators did discuss this during the Giro D'Italia. It is all to do with grip. Usually a wider tyre is used for riding on cobbles as opposed to a tarmac surface.

We're not talking 23 to 25/27 for Paris/Roubaix here! These are 3 to 4 inches in width

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And by the way, wearing lycra isn't essential kit, in fact i highly recommend you don't wear it ( for every one elses sake).

As for an "expensive" bike, I'm not sure of the point if its for exercise, i.e. cheaper ones are heavier but if its for exercise who cares.

I love my Lycra, don't care what you or anyone else thinks, wicks away the sweat fast and is comfy for a full day in the saddle, there's a reason why it is designed the way it is. Last thing you want is uncomfortable chafing that puts you off riding.

To sum up, wear whatever the hell you like on the bike and don't care about anyone else, all that matters is that you're comfy and you're out on your bike having fun.

Cheaper bikes aren't just heavier, but have crappy components, and generally don't fit as well, so in the medium to long term they end up costing more in repairs and upgrading parts.

Another brand to check out btw is Axman Bikes http://axmanthailand.com/lineup.html

very good frames and value for money.

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Only thing to add to what Bobfish said is that if you're tall and need a larger frame size you're going to struggle to find something easily.

If in Bangkok, the Trek dealer (Probike) has the best selection of bikes for taller riders, after that it's Giant or Merida although they don't bring in many so you may have to wait 3-6 months to get something the right size.

If you're smaller, then you shouldn't have a problem finding something in your budget that fits well.

Top top: Sports Bicycle/Specialized are also having a clearout on old stock until the end of this month, you can pick up a Specialized Allez E5 with Shimano Claris 16 speed for 18k if they have your size. Its an excellent frame and well worth upgrading in the future of you really get in to riding on the road.

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Look up fat bikes on Google. They are meant for use on sand/snow originally, large volume tyre with low pressure gives better grip.

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Yep , but when riding on tarmac with them it's like peddling through treacle.

Absolutely, have never understood their popularity in Thailand, there's hundreds of them at the Skylane even, although I suppose they are giving the rider a decent workout......

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