Another help question

[Hocus]

Do you guys think the Voodoo Limbawould help?
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adve...enture-bike---52-54.5-57cm-frames-445554.html
I've seen some solid entry level gravel/ adventure bikes and hoping they may give me that little bit of increase. This cycling thing is nuts.

 

[Pale Rider]

Do you guys think the Voodoo Limbawould help?
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adve...enture-bike---52-54.5-57cm-frames-445554.html
I've seen some solid entry level gravel/ adventure bikes and hoping they may give me that little bit of increase. This cycling thing is nuts.

The Voodoo bike would be easier to ride up hills than either of the bikes in your first post.

Drop handlebars are different to flat bars, so you need to be sure you will be happy with them.

The bike looks decent in other respects.

It is a so called adventure bike which means it rolls quite well on the road, but can also do rough or muddy tracks.

The gears have a good range, including a sensibly low gear.

Eight speed components are much cheaper to replace than 11 or 12 speeds on some other bikes.

The bike is not especially light, but lightness costs money in cycling so you wouldn't get a much lighter bike without paying a lot more money.

Overall, the Voodoo is a good choice, particularly if your local Halfords has one in stock in your size.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I agree, it's reasonable value and has sensible 8-speed mechanicals, cheaper and longer lasting than 11 speed stuff. It's important to appreciate though, that the bike only makes a certain difference. It will not make a slow rider miraculously fast and it won't compensate for any lack of fitness. All things being equal, a drop bar machine will be slightly quicker because it is aerodynamically more efficient but there are always a lot of variables at play that determine how fast a route can be ridden and the level of effort required.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I have to agree though that really straight ones aren't very ergonomic and are only tolerable for a few miles. I've upgraded my Pioneer's MTB bars to ones I salvaged off a 3-speed, and they are much better. I've also ridden a Raleigh Ascender MTB where I swear the bars were literally a straight piece of black steel tubing, no shaping whatsoever. It was a good bike apart from that as well.

 

[Cycleops]

Worth remembering too that cycling fitness is not the same as running, footballing or any other type of fitness.

 

[Cycleops]

This might interest the OP:


View: https://youtu.be/GvVLYLS4tFg

 

[Lovacott]

Worth remembering too that cycling fitness is not the same as running, footballing or any other type of fitness.

My fitness has improved greatly over the last five months mainly due to having some monster hills on my commute (monster to me anyway).

But what really improved my hill climbing speed was my approach to each hill. Where to change down, what ring to select on the front (I select the front ring just prior to climbing and use the rears during the climb). Whether to go at it hammer and tongs (short and steep hills with a flat at the top to recover) or to pace myself and take it steady (long hills).

I took the bike out yesterday and tested myself on a local hill used by club cyclists which I could only do a third of the way up three months ago. I breezed it (not at record pace but I didn't die of exhaustion so I was pleased).

 

[nickyboy]

Worth remembering too that cycling fitness is not the same as running, footballing or any other type of fitness.

Wot he said

Loads of relatively new cyclists come on this forum and can't understand why they are slower than others up hills. It's rarely down to the bike or gears. It's nearly always down to the cyclist. There is no silver bullet to riding up hills faster. A different bike will make you a bit quicker but not loads. The big difference comes from the cyclist. Unfortunately that means hard work getting "cycling fit". But stick at it, you will get there if you try

 

[Andrew1971]

The voodoo limba it's a decent bike for the price. I have got one I put kojak slicks and mudguards on mine. Use it as my main road bike. Haven't found a hill i can't get up with the gearing it has. So should be good for a little of roading. The weight is a fraction over 13 kg for the large one. The factory tires have very little puncture protection inner tubes with slime should make up for it. Get some padded pants the saddle not the most comfortable but had worse. Mine has not got gear position indicator on the shifters.
Andrew

 

[nickyboy]

I should have added.....if you want to spend money on getting quicker, the most bang for your buck.....by miles.....is tyres

The difference in resistance between different tyres (even ones that look very similar) can be very large. I always recommend that newish cyclists work hard to improve fitness. But I also recommend that they make sure they're using tyres than give them the best possible chance

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

 

[Lovacott]

I should have added.....if you want to spend money on getting quicker, the most bang for your buck.....by miles.....is tyres
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/

I'm riding an MTB and have 27 1/2" x 2 1/2" nobbly tyres. Some of my route is pretty gnarly (cow shitty and pot holed lanes with a fair bit of loose gravel). Not sure if nobbly wide tyres are the best for grip or if a narrower tyre would give me more point loading on the part of the road my tyre is in contact with and maybe improve grip? Shame is that half of my route is pretty good surface and is used by all of the local clubs for training on road bikes. I could do with swapping bikes half way.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm riding an MTB and have 27 1/2" x 2 1/2" nobbly tyres. Some of my route is pretty gnarly (cow shitty and pot holed lanes with a fair bit of loose gravel). Not sure if nobbly wide tyres are the best for grip or if a narrower tyre would give me more point loading on the part of the road my tyre is in contact with and maybe improve grip? Shame is that half of my route is pretty good surface and is used by all of the local clubs for training on road bikes. I could do with swapping bikes half way.

We have loads of cow shitty potholed lanes around here. Also several "gravel" stretches. I manage fine on those with normal 25mm road tyres by taking it steady. More than make up for it with the benefit I get on better surfaces. You don't need big, nobbly tyres for stuff like that, particularly if your ride also incorporates better surfaces. The difference in rolling resistance between your current tyres and a narrower, smoother tyre (which will also run at higher pressure) will be huge. I'm not talking about 25mm road tyres, I'm talking about a "road" version of your MTB tyres

 

[Hocus]

I tried my hardest for the voodoo but they just couldn't get me one in time and I was uncertain on the drop bars. I ended up with the Carrera in the end and have done 2, 30mile journeys on it and improved by riding 2mph faster. So I'm please which means I should be able to keep up this weekend. I watched a lot of videos seat placment and really got into understanding my gears. Which made a huge difference going uphill. Not getting stuck and losing momentum was key. Needless to say thank you all for your advice. Im going to commute and stick with this one for a while and if I know this is not a fad for me due to needing something to do during covid, i will purchase a proper adventure/ gravel bike from my local Hargreaves shop. Ohh and clothing 100% helped. Thanks again.

 

[Lovacott]

We have loads of cow shitty potholed lanes around here. Also several "gravel" stretches. I manage fine on those with normal 25mm road tyres by taking it steady. More than make up for it with the benefit I get on better surfaces. You don't need big, nobbly tyres for stuff like that, particularly if your ride also incorporates better surfaces. The difference in rolling resistance between your current tyres and a narrower, smoother tyre (which will also run at higher pressure) will be huge. I'm not talking about 25mm road tyres, I'm talking about a "road" version of your MTB tyres

I'm looking at changing my bike in the new year but what is very telling about my route is that I've never seen anyone else on a bike on the bad half (but I see loads of people out on the good half).

Even with the nobbly tyres, I've nearly lost the back end a few times on the worst sections. On the plus side, I don't do any of that section at great speed due to the number of blind bends (it's a single track lane). There are a couple of big dairy farms and they use the lanes to move cattle between fields. Somedays, my bike stinks when I get it home. There's also the problem of over hanging brambles so I take it steady. The only other way I can do my route is busy A road all the way or an estuary cycle path which is double the distance (although it is flat). Neither of those options appeal to me.

One thing I am considering is getting a road bike to use for commuting in the better weather and for weekend riding while keeping the MTB for bad days. I've done a fair bit of work to the MTB and replaced just about every moving part recently so it's worth keeping for a few more years at least.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm looking at changing my bike in the new year but what is very telling about my route is that I've never seen anyone else on a bike on the bad half (but I see loads of people out on the good half).

Even with the nobbly tyres, I've nearly lost the back end a few times on the worst sections. On the plus side, I don't do any of that section at great speed due to the number of blind bends (it's a single track lane). There are a couple of big dairy farms and they use the lanes to move cattle between fields. Somedays, my bike stinks when I get it home. There's also the problem of over hanging brambles so I take it steady. The only other way I can do my route is busy A road all the way or an estuary cycle path which is double the distance (although it is flat). Neither of those options appeal to me.

One thing I am considering is getting a road bike to use for commuting in the better weather and for weekend riding while keeping the MTB for bad days. I've done a fair bit of work to the MTB and replaced just about every moving part recently so it's worth keeping for a few more years at least.

Well you need to ride whatever bike you feel comfortable riding. That's the most important thing. If I were you, I would buy a cheapish set of "road" MTB tyres and see how they go. You will certainly feel the benefit on the well surfaced sections of your ride. Hopefully they will allow you to ride the less well surfaced sections. If they don't, worst case is you resell them as virtually unused and it will have cost you very little.