my new bike

[leroy]

Here is my new carrera tdf.
It is at the top of my budget but hopefully I can upgrade in a year or so.

I ordered a large, but receipt suggests it may be a medium after all! Size wise there seems to be 4cm between the medium and large frame size, and it seems ok, so not sure whether to say anything or not.

Anyway, once I have had it for a few weeks I will put a review up!

 

[The Jogger]

Looks a nice bike, enjoy.....

 

[chewy]

very nice....but how does it ride?

 

[dirkthedaring71]

Looks great but why upgrade in a year. A bike lasts for ages if you look after it and there is nothing more satisfying than overtaking someone who is on a really expensive bike and pedalling off into the distance.

 

[R_Z]

I ordered a large, but receipt suggests it may be a medium after all! Size wise there seems to be 4cm between the medium and large frame size, and it seems ok, so not sure whether to say anything or not.

She's a beauty for sure. Have you been fitted for the bike? That will tell you if the size is ok for you. Of course riding it will also help. I'd certainly want to make a decision soon if you decide it's the wrong size for you. But it is one striking bike. Enjoy.

 

[leroy]

Thanks for the comments guys, first ride is in the morning - I dint get it till late and I needed to keep the Mrs happy after spending our money on it lol

Because I ordered online I went off the sizing on there, I was between both sizes tbh. I have tried to measure from bottom bracket to top bar but that seems inbetween both sizes, so I am confused now!

 

[cyberknight]

Nice !! I have the virtuso as a commuter and i really like it


You have to be careful with sizing as all manufactureers measure differently and some list the bike with the seatpost lentgh as measured and some list it as where it would meet the top tube if the top tube was not sloping (virtual ).

It is hard to say from the piccie but it does not look far off , without seeing you on the bike we cannot say for sure.

I found a good starting point for seat height is to put your heel on the pedal , your leg should be straight, another way is to multiply you inside leg by .883 , my inside leg is 77.5 x.883 = 68.5 cm ( plus or minus a few mm for comfort ) from centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle.For me i have it up another 3 mm.

Setting how far your saddle is back , most people use KOPS, drop a plumb line from where the bottom of your knee cap is and it should go through the pedal spindle when your foot is at 3 `o clock , i personally have it 1 cm forward , you have to play around with it till you are comfortable as some people prefer it in front or behind.

To get your reach right you can look at the centre of your handle bar where it meets the stem and this should hide the centre of your front wheel, changing stem length affects this .

Drop from saddle to handlebars , this depends on how flexible you are and what sort of riding you want to do, i notice that your saddle is lower than the handle bars but this could be down to getting it set up right.

Some people prefer to have the handlebar level with the seat or lower, generally 2-4 cm lower is the norm or 6cm+ for a full on race machine, mine is set with around 3 cm drop.


These are all just starting points to work from until you get a comfortable fit as everyone is different.

This is how mine looks, bear in mind that it is set for me and you will be different .

 

[leroy]

Cyberknight - that is a great post, I'll print it off and use it as a guide.

I raised the seat this morning before I read it and went to work - different leg muscles hurting than on the hybrid though.

First impressions after I posted last night - I wouldnt get my Halfords to size me up for it based on their idea of adjusted gears (rubbing lots) and brakes (also rubbing)

The pedals wont be on the bike for long, took me ages to get right foot in, and toes seemed to slip out the side of the 'cage'.....what suggestions are there apart from clips?

Slower time into work than on the hybrid, but perhaps that is just about getting the setup right.

Got right down on the bars a few times, can tell a difference with drag down there, easier to keep speed up!

I'll pop a picture of me on the bike later if i can so that people can advise on position etc - I know it is down to personal preference but I really dont know where to start

 

[Simba]

Here is my new carrera tdf.
It is at the top of my budget but hopefully I can upgrade in a year or so.

I ordered a large, but receipt suggests it may be a medium after all! Size wise there seems to be 4cm between the medium and large frame size, and it seems ok, so not sure whether to say anything or not.

Anyway, once I have had it for a few weeks I will put a review up!

I was going to get one of them, they are really nice bikes. I got a specialized allez instead though.

Take off them reflectors, they are very heavy

Also the best pedals you can get are clipless, the only other alternative is normal non-strapped pedals.

 

[abo]

you have to play around with it till you are comfortable as some people prefer it in front or behind.

Calling Fnar...

 

[leroy]

I was going to get one of them, they are really nice bikes. I got a specialized allez instead though.

Take off them reflectors, they are very heavy

Also the best pedals you can get are clipless, the only other alternative is normal non-strapped pedals.

Ha, that was on my list last night - it took me a while to setup the gears though, and took me a while to figure out that the battery on the frame part of computer had leaked....I ran out of time, but fear not, they will be gone later

 

[cyberknight]

Check your tyre pressures as it should be 100 psi +, a standard pump will struggle to get up to these pressures so look around for a track pump to make the job a lot easier.

For pedals i have just changed mine for shimano m520s from Absolute cycles as they are only £15 but you will need cleats and special shoes with mounting screws for the cleats, i would get used to the bike before putting "clipless" pedals on.

Most of the stuff i have quoted for bike set up comes from ...

http://www.jimlangle...nk/bikefit.html

As for speed i think you will find it gets a lot faster when you get used to it , and when you get the gears indexed right it wil help a lot .

I do not know what rpm you pedal at but i find that spinning at around 70-90 rpm faster than trying to push a harder gear as you go no faster for more effort.

 

[leroy]

I dont think i fancy clipless at the minute, perhaps I will take the toe clips off for now and just ride it flat.
perhaps it is just the ones that come with the TDF though - they seem tunnel like, I think i would prefer just the ends like the one on the right here

toe clips

Right! well I have 8 miles back home tonight, 4 up to band and then going to take it for a good ride tomorrow, I'll let everyone know how it goes

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I think i would prefer just the ends like the one on the right here
toe clips

I have some like the strapless ones, which came with my Dawes hybrid, and I love them.

 

[leroy]

I have some like the strapless ones, which came with my Dawes hybrid, and I love them.

I'll keep an eye out for a dawes hybrid passing me on Bolton/Manchester road and check them out!