Hi Again,
Sorry for dragging up an old thread, but after all the great advice and encouragement I received when I posted last year, I thought I would report back.
The best bit of news is that the 23 stone of last year has now reduced to 18st 12lbs and continues to fall . My BSO continued to eat components, and by the time Christmas arrived I had been through another back wheel, and a front wheel, and no matter how much I adjusted them I just couldn't get the twist grip gears to work for more than two days in a row. Most of my riding has continued to be to work and back, but I have done a little bit of mild off road at the weekend, and have found some tracks which give an alternative route for part of the way to the office. I am quite proud that I have continued through the winter
Half way through January, the play in the bottom bracket became unbearable, and I started to get really fed up with having to get of and put the chain back on at least twice every trip. The final straw went when the third back wheel started to give way.
I decided that however financially painful it was, I had to get a new bike. I tried a number of different types, but decided in the end that I still liked the MTB style of bike rather than a hybrid or road bike.
I did quite a bit of research and had narrowed it down to a choice of a second hand Kona Hoss, or Giant XTC or a previous year Giant Terrago. An friend also suggested that I should look at a Carrera Kraken, but being a Halfords bike I was reticent.
I decided that I would pop into Halfords and just have a look, and was very pleasantly surprised. I had looked at all the sizing guides, and had decided that at 5’10” with a 30” inside leg, I needed an 18” frame. I asked the chap to get one down so I could try it. He looked at me and said he thought it would be too small – Here we go I thought, typical Halfords. I tried the 18”, and all the measurements and clearances were right, but it didn’t feel right. The Halfords chap said he really thought I out to try the 20”, and so I did, reluctantly. I hate to admit it, but he was right!
I paid my money, and was told the bike could be collected that afternoon, but there was obviously a look of concern on my face, as the Halfords chap looked at me and said “we will do it properly”!
I picked the bike up that afternoon, and rode it home….wow! They had put it together properly; gears just snicked into place, hills which previously made me puff just glided away beneath, and even the hard looking narrow saddle proved as comfy as the wide gel saddle I had fitted to the BSO, and the hydraulic are brilliant. By the last hill before home I had remembered the remote lock out for the forks – brilliant……..can you tell I’m pleased. The best bit was a new bike which does everything I had hoped and more for £349, with a free tool/cleaning/puncture kit thrown in for free.
As far as my winter jacket was concerned, the £19 waterproof fleece off eBay has turned out to be excellent, if a touch warm when I get really going. However, I would rather have that than be shivering.
Sorry for dragging up an old thread, but after all the great advice and encouragement I received when I posted last year, I thought I would report back.
The best bit of news is that the 23 stone of last year has now reduced to 18st 12lbs and continues to fall . My BSO continued to eat components, and by the time Christmas arrived I had been through another back wheel, and a front wheel, and no matter how much I adjusted them I just couldn't get the twist grip gears to work for more than two days in a row. Most of my riding has continued to be to work and back, but I have done a little bit of mild off road at the weekend, and have found some tracks which give an alternative route for part of the way to the office. I am quite proud that I have continued through the winter
Half way through January, the play in the bottom bracket became unbearable, and I started to get really fed up with having to get of and put the chain back on at least twice every trip. The final straw went when the third back wheel started to give way.
I decided that however financially painful it was, I had to get a new bike. I tried a number of different types, but decided in the end that I still liked the MTB style of bike rather than a hybrid or road bike.
I did quite a bit of research and had narrowed it down to a choice of a second hand Kona Hoss, or Giant XTC or a previous year Giant Terrago. An friend also suggested that I should look at a Carrera Kraken, but being a Halfords bike I was reticent.
I decided that I would pop into Halfords and just have a look, and was very pleasantly surprised. I had looked at all the sizing guides, and had decided that at 5’10” with a 30” inside leg, I needed an 18” frame. I asked the chap to get one down so I could try it. He looked at me and said he thought it would be too small – Here we go I thought, typical Halfords. I tried the 18”, and all the measurements and clearances were right, but it didn’t feel right. The Halfords chap said he really thought I out to try the 20”, and so I did, reluctantly. I hate to admit it, but he was right!
I paid my money, and was told the bike could be collected that afternoon, but there was obviously a look of concern on my face, as the Halfords chap looked at me and said “we will do it properly”!
I picked the bike up that afternoon, and rode it home….wow! They had put it together properly; gears just snicked into place, hills which previously made me puff just glided away beneath, and even the hard looking narrow saddle proved as comfy as the wide gel saddle I had fitted to the BSO, and the hydraulic are brilliant. By the last hill before home I had remembered the remote lock out for the forks – brilliant……..can you tell I’m pleased. The best bit was a new bike which does everything I had hoped and more for £349, with a free tool/cleaning/puncture kit thrown in for free.
As far as my winter jacket was concerned, the £19 waterproof fleece off eBay has turned out to be excellent, if a touch warm when I get really going. However, I would rather have that than be shivering.
