Buying a new bike - advice and suggestive guidance requested

[MrTrip]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

You're right that looks really uncomfortable[emoji30]

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[moonoi]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

You're right that looks really uncomfortable[emoji30]

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Zero offset seatpost with a -13 degree 130mm stem to get the right fit. Didn't want to cut the steerer as I was (and did) sell it a couple of months later once the new bike came in.

For me I prefer to have a bit more weight through my arms, as too upright a position gives me a backache.....the opposite problem to most people!

[MrTrip]

It depends on how big the belly is that pulls the back down. And I'm not taking the p*ss

Got a friend, huge belly, severe lower back pain cycling.

I get a sore neck but no back pain with weight mainly on my ass

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[StreetCowboy]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

That must look like you're tying your shoe laces.

I've rotated the handlebars up, to get a bit more purchase on the hoods, I was kindly given some gloves by my cycling buddy. I try to put some of the braking effort through my legs, standing up in my pedals and leaning back.

My mate still flies past down the hills on his road bike, with his skinny little rock-hard tyres, but he takes it much more seriously than me, down on the drop handlebars; I love to sit up straight on the long descents and get a bit of breeze round the oxters (relative to being confident about braking at the foot of the hill)

SC

[bobfish]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

Not a bad temporary bike Moonoi!

You're forgiven for not slamming that stem - the seatpost extension more than makes up for it.

But, I think that's twice you've posted a photo without the chain on the BIG Dog. Some of us are paying attention!!! Sur la Plaque and all that...

[moonoi]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

Not a bad temporary bike Moonoi!

You're forgiven for not slamming that stem - the seatpost extension more than makes up for it.

But, I think that's twice you've posted a photo without the chain on the BIG Dog. Some of us are paying attention!!! Sur la Plaque and all that...

I also failed to match the bar tape to the saddle, so a fair number of errors ;-)

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[StreetCowboy]

As someone pointed out, before I bought the bike, the cable-pull disc brakes are not the best.

Looking at my Strava segment times, I'm not close to matching my MTB times on the steep downhills, in the heavy traffic, or the steep uphills. I'm doing well on the rest, though...

To be fair, I'm going more for longer distances now

[StreetCowboy]

The front disc brakes were shot after about 2,000 km and I took the bike in for a service.

He replaced a brake cable, and both sets of brake pads, and the braking is almost as good as the mountain bike with the hydraulic brakes. Maybe more spring in the cables than in the hydraulic fluid.

Still considering a handlebar transplant, taking the handlebar, brake levers, brake calipers, gear shifters, and if necessary the derailieurs from the mountain bike onto the road (cyclocross) bike, but I'll persevere a while longer and try to learn to love it.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I'm getting more confident in the traffic on the new bike now; I set a fastest kilometre at about 61 seconds coming down through one of the local highway tunnels - can't be too trusting of the GPS data, but it would seem about right since I was keeping up with the traffic, and a new personal record on one of the fast downhill roads where speed is limited by the traffic. And finally, managed to break 63 km/h down another of my local hills, which has a sharp turn at the bottom.

The new brake pads make a big difference - I've got far more confidence in my ability to slow down quickly.

Just as well, really. I was following a car through some roadworks, and he slowed down suddenly; I nearly went into his back, and briefly locked up the back wheel. At first, I was annoyed, since I knew the section of rough road surface he had slowed down for, and I knew if I could ride over it at speed then he could too. But further on, he pulled over to the right of the lane to let me filter through, and I thought 'maybe he was slowing down for my benefit, since he knew I could not see the road ahead, since he was obviously aware of my presence, from the way he considerately pulled over to the side.'

I notice a lot more good driving on my bike than I ever notice when I am in my car.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I had to postpone my evening ride last night after my front light failed at the office. I was upset because I thought at last I'd found a reliable brand. "That was maybe because I accidentally put them through the washing machine when they were in the pocket of your backpack".

Five minutes with a paper towel, a stand overnight to dry out, and both lights are back to full functionality.

Well done, Bontrager!

Edited June 30, 2016 by StreetCowboy

[StreetCowboy]

Well, it's two years later, and my contract has been extended again, so I thought I would buy the bike I never bought last time.  But I thought "I'll not rush into it - let's see the salary package, and maybe wait until after I've had my leg taken off and put back on again - there's many a slip betwixt cup and lip, as the bard might have said".  Unfortunately, the chap who has borrowed my old bike has sloped off somewhat unexpectedly to India, so if I want to go for a ride with the bairns while they are here over the festive season....

 

So instead of going round as many bike shops as I could manage (12 shops is about my limit for an afternoon ride) I went to the biggest and the nearest, and the nearest won on price and convenience.  So I'm getting a hybrid with a 3 x 8 Shimano gearset, disc brakes, panniers and a rear rack fpor commuting to the office, to the shops, to the pub, and most importantly, for carrying a crate of beer to the snail racing in February.  Last year's event went slightly awry when we appointed a French team caterer...

[StreetCowboy]

What a Byootie!; the nice chaps in the shop tested the bottle carrier for me.

 

 

I'm quite confident I'll get a case of beer into those panniers, should the need arise
"Two crates, mate, one each side.  You could strap another case across the top.".  But he's a serious touring cyclist.

 

I'm a bit nervous I'll struggle to push it up the ramp at the pedestrian overbridge with a full crate in the panniers, on the way to the snail racing in February.

 

SC

 

[StreetCowboy]

First test was not a Full Pass - no Tiger, only Carlsberg.

 

12 Carlsberg in one pannier, 8 diet coke, litre of milk and 3 bell peppers in the other, so in principle I am optimistic about getting a crate of Tiger into the panniers, but I'll need to find a better supermarket... which could involve some hills....

 

And I'm not sure about getting up the hill past the office with 8 litres of beer on the back, and less confident about going down the other side.  I know when I try to carry even 4 litres internally, I struggle on much gentler routes.

[StreetCowboy]

And now, it's a basket case

[Rhys]

So Clever mate