New to CycleChat? Make your first post here and say HELLO :)

[peanut]

Hello, i'm new here! I'm very new to cycling but I love it! I did three sprint triathlons this summer and I was almost the slowest cyclist so I'm really keen to pick up some speed. Hoping to get some inspiration from you guys.

Alice.x

welcome Alice which sprint tris did you do ?
I used to love them. Hopeless runner so I usually managed to make up some significant time on the ride and swim

Which is your best discipline?

Your best bet for improving your riding is simply to ride more, particularly with others. It would be really useful to join a local cycle club or better still a tri club if there is one.

Riding with others on club runs will improve your bike skills and confidence and get some good fast miles in your legs.You'll improve in leaps and bounds trust me.

Another thing you could do is ride in some local Audax and sportives /charity runs and use them for training.

 

[Sinky]

Hi Folks
After riding my Toys-r-us £50 special for 3 years I finally decided to buy something a bit better so today I bought a Carrera Subway2. Overall I'm delighted with it but I asked them to fit a rack at the back and they attached their own make (Bikehut Rear Alloy Beam Rack )Cat. code: 899740-0. It looks solid enough but it's only attached under the seat and not to the rear fork (it basically hangs above the wheel). Does anyone know if this is ok? or have they sold me any old sh***.

Sorry to moan on my first post but it bugging me a bit.

 

[Sittingduck]

Hi Sinky

Have you checked for the "Braze-ons" on the seat stays (that a typical rack connects to)? They would be a few inches down from where the saddle is on the rear triangle section of the frame that slopes down to meet the middle of the back wheel They look the mounting points for a waterbottle cage only a bit bigger... If they are not there then that's why Halfords have fitted a seatpost mounted rack - which will probably be okay as long as you don't carry too much heavy stuff. Look on their website for the rack and it should tell you the max weight.

By the way - how the feck did a Toys r us special last 3 years?

 

[bexcycles]

Just a quick post to say hi.

 

[peanut]

Just a quick post to say hi.

well that sure was a quick post bex

Still a hearty welcome anyway.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Do you cycle for leisure or commute to work ? what type of bike do you have. Have you any plans to join a club or compete in an Audax or local charity ride perhaps?

 

[bauldbairn]

Hello from Falkirk

 

[Sinky]

Hi Sinky

Have you checked for the "Braze-ons" on the seat stays (that a typical rack connects to)? They would be a few inches down from where the saddle is on the rear triangle section of the frame that slopes down to meet the middle of the back wheel They look the mounting points for a waterbottle cage only a bit bigger... If they are not there then that's why Halfords have fitted a seatpost mounted rack - which will probably be okay as long as you don't carry too much heavy stuff. Look on their website for the rack and it should tell you the max weight.

By the way - how the feck did a Toys r us special last 3 years?

Thanks for the info Sitting Duck. It does have "braze-ons" but the rack is about 2 inches away from being able to connect to them. It says it holds 10KG and to be honest it does look pretty solid so I'll probably just stick with it.

As for my Toys-r-us special, It lasted me well. I didn't do many major runs on it but i did use it 2 or 3 times a week in the summer so I got my moneys worth out of it. It's struggling a bit now though (it's nickname is ol' squeeky)

 

[chemswot]

Hello, you lovely cyclists!

Thought I'd introduce myself as a new cyclist - I learned only 2 months ago at the tender age of 23 Am hoping to eventually commute and generally have some fun on me bike! I have a cycle training session on Friday, yay!

Anyway, just a quick thought, I've done a bit of google-ing and searching a couple forums here and there, but I don't seem to be able to find some sort of directory of cycle parking provisions out there in London, at least not a complete one. I wonder if we can somehow pool our resources and get some sort of online directory or map going? I could start a new thread somewhere if there's some interest...

 

[podunk]

Hello from Chester......

 

[scots_lass]

Hello from Falkirk

Welcome to the forum from a near neighbour across the water!

 

[factor10]

Hello!

Just following instructions

I joined a while ago but have been away.

My bike's a no frills single speed conversion from a 1970's Raleigh steel frame. I've been commuting around 18 miles a day in London for the past 18 months and love it.

I'm working towards cycling from South London to the Lake District next summer - probably not on a single speed!

If anyone reads this and has advice or can tell me their experiences with mobile phones with GPS I'd be really grateful. Since I'm due a phone upgrade, rather than buying a dedicated GPS unit, it seems a good idea to go for an all-in-one. Any thoughts?

 

[jorgemartin]

Hello!

 

[jorgemartin]

Hello again

I've been cycling in London for about 7 years. I have a mountain bike semi-slick tyres. I used to have two other bikes, one a converted racing Torrot (from the Basque Country) and a Brompton. Both got stolen. I'm thinking of cycling from Paris to Hamburg in November. I don't know if this is a big mistake. Surely summer would be a better time but I didn't have time to do it this summer. Lat time I went on a tour, my back hurt. That's why I've been thinking about getting a recumbent. The Grasshopper FX looks very appealing, mainly because it can be folded and put on the train. I don't have a car and use the Eurostar a lot. But alas, they're quite expensive.

 

[Neilus]

Hello from Brisbane!

Thought I would join this forum to help gain a wealth of knowledge that is out there and help me get back into cycling.

My background.........and a question.
I bought myself a Merida 900 in 2002 and have used it as a commuter back and forth to work and traveled about 25km a day for about four years. Really loved it and eventually pushed myself up to 32kmh average.
Which I know is not really quick only traveling 12 - 13km each way.
I moved to my own place now with a 50km round trip and still traveled in. Speed limits around my way are 80kmh and cars regularly did 100kmh so I decided it was to much of a risk and gave it away.

A friend of mine just stared to get into cycling and it didn't take me to long to get the bug back and I am currently putting together a carbon frame bike.
I am going to join a club here in Brisbane shortly and my goal is to be able to ride 100km at a time.

Here goes my question and it probably obvious to many.My question is can I use a Dura ace rear derailleur suit a Shimano Ultegra SL Double Chainset 6601 crank and 6700 speed cassette? Will the Dura ace derailleur match or can I only use Ultegra derailleurs?

Any input you may have would be greatly appreciated, thanks very much for your time!

 

[GBH]

After all rules is rules, Hello to you all