mrs fry
New Member
- Location
- Tamworth, Staffordshire
HJ said:
How do I lock the front suspension?
Mountain bike for commuting?
- Thread starter mrs fry
- Start date
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How do I lock the front suspension?
mrs fry
New Member
- Location
- Tamworth, Staffordshire
bromptonfb said:
7 miles.
Why not?
That bike will be OK round Tamworth. Keep the tyres pumped up.
Tamworth ( pronounced “Tammuth” by locals ) is in my back yard. It’s only an hour’s ride away.
There’s only one flat way out of Tamworth, and that’s through Fazeley.
The other ways go UP through Glascote; UP toward Lichfield and UP to Measham.
Which way does your 7 miles go?
That bike will be OK round Tamworth. Keep the tyres pumped up.
Tamworth ( pronounced “Tammuth” by locals ) is in my back yard. It’s only an hour’s ride away.
There’s only one flat way out of Tamworth, and that’s through Fazeley.
The other ways go UP through Glascote; UP toward Lichfield and UP to Measham.
Which way does your 7 miles go?
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
7 miles. the bike you have is fine. even lance armstrong would struggle to save more than 5 minutes over that distance on a different bike. you just need to give it some time and the fitness will follow. lets face it what's 5 or 10 minutes? no point in spending money on a cheap bike. better tyres would cost half what you paid.
mrs fry
New Member
- Location
- Tamworth, Staffordshire
jimboalee said:
I work at the Belfry hotel. I bike home, boyfriend drives me there but he works evenings, hence the bike. From work I take the main road til I get to Drayton Manor, then through Fazelely, through Tamworth and home. It's the long main road I have trouble with.
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
mrs fry said:
I wrote that before seeing the bike. If it is possible there should be a little know at the top of the suspension on the front fork which you can turn to lock and unlock the suspension. However, having now seen the bike I suspect it is unlikely to have such a feature as this is mostly found on bikes costing over £300. Sorry about that.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Really wouldnt worry about your bike choice right now, for that distance you can get away with riding pretty much anything (I've cycled just over 10 mile on a BMX with no option of sitting down before). Just keep at it and you will get stronger and fitter. If you keep at it, within a few weeks it will be nothing.
Have you thought about say, riding home one night, getting bus/taxi the next or vice versa and then increase the number of days you cycle home as you feel able until you are riding all 5 working days?
Its simply legs that arent used to cycling slowing you down not the bike at this stage, worry less and try to enjoy it dont rush, just pootle along at your own pace.
Have you thought about say, riding home one night, getting bus/taxi the next or vice versa and then increase the number of days you cycle home as you feel able until you are riding all 5 working days?
Its simply legs that arent used to cycling slowing you down not the bike at this stage, worry less and try to enjoy it
dont rush, just pootle along at your own pace.
Debian
New Member
- Location
- West Midlands
I'd echo the advice about taking the journey in your own time.
I use a MTB on my commute, seven miles each way and it still has knobbly tyres on although I am trying to decide what new tyres to get. It's fine, it now seems that I'm home / at work in a flash and I'm wishing that the journey were longer. When the better weather / lighter evenings arrive I intend to lengthen my commute via various scenic options.
Just keep at it and take your time. Enjoy it.
If you can afford it then change the tyres, Schwalbe Landcruisers might be a good low-cost option for you:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Schwalbe_Land_Crusier_MTB_Tyre/5360042609/
If not, just keep it up with the tyres you have, as I say I'm still running knobblies. Pump em up to 60 or 65 psi, that'll help make it easier.
I use a MTB on my commute, seven miles each way and it still has knobbly tyres on although I am trying to decide what new tyres to get. It's fine, it now seems that I'm home / at work in a flash and I'm wishing that the journey were longer. When the better weather / lighter evenings arrive I intend to lengthen my commute via various scenic options.
Just keep at it and take your time. Enjoy it.
If you can afford it then change the tyres, Schwalbe Landcruisers might be a good low-cost option for you:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Schwalbe_Land_Crusier_MTB_Tyre/5360042609/
If not, just keep it up with the tyres you have, as I say I'm still running knobblies. Pump em up to 60 or 65 psi, that'll help make it easier.
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
Rob3rt said:Have you thought about say, riding home one night, getting bus/taxi the next or vice versa and then increase the number of days you cycle home as you feel able until you are riding all 5 working days?
Its simply legs that arent used to cycling slowing you down not the bike at this stage, worry less and try to enjoy it
This is a good idea - giving your legs time to recover. But as everyone says, try and take it at your own pace, and let that pace build up gradually. I understand what you mean about the main road - you'll maybe feel you have to rush, if it's fast. Try to resist that feeling - a mile or two an hour won't make too much difference.
If I remember rightly, you've only been doing this a few days and you've already cut your time a lot - so you must be pushing it quite hard. Let yourself dawdle a bit more, let your legs catch up with what you're doing.
mrs fry
New Member
- Location
- Tamworth, Staffordshire
Rob3rt said:Really wouldnt worry about your bike choice right now, for that distance you can get away with riding pretty much anything (I've cycled just over 10 mile on a BMX with no option of sitting down before). Just keep at it and you will get stronger and fitter. If you keep at it, within a few weeks it will be nothing.
Have you thought about say, riding home one night, getting bus/taxi the next or vice versa and then increase the number of days you cycle home as you feel able until you are riding all 5 working days?
Its simply legs that arent used to cycling slowing you down not the bike at this stage, worry less and try to enjoy itdont rush, just pootle along at your own pace.
I can't get a bus home, this is why I cycle. My work is in the middle of nowhere with no public transport surrounding it.
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
If you swap the tyres for ones with puncture protection they should run better than your knobbly ones at the moment. And if the next bike (whenever you buy it) has the same size wheels you might be able to swap the tyres over onto it too so it wouldn't be a wasted purchase that would only fit this bike.
Yes the tyres would cost, but you gain in that it will be easier to ride, less punctures, and transferable to the next bike. (I've got 4000 miles out of my puncture resistant tyres - with a total of 4 visits by the evil fairy over 2 years).
Yes the tyres would cost, but you gain in that it will be easier to ride, less punctures, and transferable to the next bike. (I've got 4000 miles out of my puncture resistant tyres - with a total of 4 visits by the evil fairy over 2 years).
mrs fry
New Member
- Location
- Tamworth, Staffordshire
Say I got these tyres - http://www.on-one-shop.co.uk/acatalog/info_TYCOSC2613.html
Do I need to buy a new inner tube? Or do I simply put the one from my knobblies into the slicks? I'm sorry for all the questions, just trying to learn. I'm going to buy a good book on maintainence when I get paid.
Edit - And I know this sounds really stupid, but as it's a heavy steel framed mountain bike, would it not be too heavy for slimmer, slicker tyres? And will they fit?
Do I need to buy a new inner tube? Or do I simply put the one from my knobblies into the slicks? I'm sorry for all the questions, just trying to learn. I'm going to buy a good book on maintainence when I get paid.
Edit - And I know this sounds really stupid, but as it's a heavy steel framed mountain bike, would it not be too heavy for slimmer, slicker tyres? And will they fit?
Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
What size tyres you need will depend on the width of your rims, most rims accommodate a range, but wide rims (which you'll likely have) won't wworkk with anything too slim (and vice versa).
Have a look on the side of your tyre. Somewhere it should have a number moulded into it (you'll probably have to look carefully, it'll be in black on black!), it'll say something like 26 x 1.3 (for example, that's the size of the tyres you linked too) The 26 (inches) is the diameter of your wheel, the 1.3 (inches I think, sometimes it's a number like 28, which is mm, sorry, it's confusing!) is the width. If you get tyres with the same number combo, they'll fit, whether they are knobbly or slick. You might be able to get away with something narrower - if you post what you have on here, someone will know, or a good shop can advise.
As to standing the weight, they'll be fine. It might be an issue if you tried to run on very thin racing tyres, but they probably wouldn't work on your wheel anyway. The main thing is to keep them pumped up well - it's the air that takes the weight really, not the tyre - it's surprising how strong air is! And your existing tubes should be fine - tubes work for a range of tyre widths and if you get something pretty similar, the tubes will cope.
Somewhere else on your tyre, it should have a maximum pressure - probably in PSI (pounds per square inch), maybe a figure around 50-60 or higher and Bar (somewhere about 3-4). This is the most pressure they advise you to put in your tyres, and it's good to get as close to it as you can - it makes riding easier, and it helps prevent punctures. If you have a pump with a gauge, that's good. If not, while you save up for one, simply try and keep them pumped up good and hard, so that when you squeeze them with thunb and finger, they don't really give. You're unlikely to exceed the max, well, I would be anyway.
(If you do need to look for a new pump, a 'trackpump', the sort you hold down with your feet and pump up and down with both hands, is a good thing to have at home, you can get more pressure in. But carrying a little handpump is fine to get you home if you need to reinflate after a puncture.)
Oh, and you know you've got this cycling business licked when you remember, when you put the tyre on, to make sure that the bit that tells you the max pressure is next to the valve, so you don't have to look for it each time. I sometimes remember!
)
Have a look on the side of your tyre. Somewhere it should have a number moulded into it (you'll probably have to look carefully, it'll be in black on black!), it'll say something like 26 x 1.3 (for example, that's the size of the tyres you linked too) The 26 (inches) is the diameter of your wheel, the 1.3 (inches I think, sometimes it's a number like 28, which is mm, sorry, it's confusing!) is the width. If you get tyres with the same number combo, they'll fit, whether they are knobbly or slick. You might be able to get away with something narrower - if you post what you have on here, someone will know, or a good shop can advise.
As to standing the weight, they'll be fine. It might be an issue if you tried to run on very thin racing tyres, but they probably wouldn't work on your wheel anyway. The main thing is to keep them pumped up well - it's the air that takes the weight really, not the tyre - it's surprising how strong air is! And your existing tubes should be fine - tubes work for a range of tyre widths and if you get something pretty similar, the tubes will cope.
Somewhere else on your tyre, it should have a maximum pressure - probably in PSI (pounds per square inch), maybe a figure around 50-60 or higher and Bar (somewhere about 3-4). This is the most pressure they advise you to put in your tyres, and it's good to get as close to it as you can - it makes riding easier, and it helps prevent punctures. If you have a pump with a gauge, that's good. If not, while you save up for one, simply try and keep them pumped up good and hard, so that when you squeeze them with thunb and finger, they don't really give. You're unlikely to exceed the max, well, I would be anyway.
(If you do need to look for a new pump, a 'trackpump', the sort you hold down with your feet and pump up and down with both hands, is a good thing to have at home, you can get more pressure in. But carrying a little handpump is fine to get you home if you need to reinflate after a puncture.)
Oh, and you know you've got this cycling business licked when you remember, when you put the tyre on, to make sure that the bit that tells you the max pressure is next to the valve, so you don't have to look for it each time. I sometimes remember!
)
Hacienda71
Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
- Location
- Wilmslow, Cheshire
mrs fry said:
Officially probably, unofficially i have been running a narrower pair of slick tyres 26x1.25 and i haven't changed the inner tubes from when i was running Knobblies. I have done over 1000 miles with no ill effects. If I recall I think the tubes were a little difficult to fit in when I swapped the tyres over but no problems apart from that.
Don't worry about the weight of the bike compressed air in rubber is very strong. If you do swap over make sure you pump the tyres up to the correct pressure which will be higher than for knobblies, this will also help reduce resistance on the road.
