I had a customer last month with a bike that needed more money spending on it than it would have cost him to buy a new bike. He spent the money on his old steel bike.

 

He had his reason's (some are personal) but basically he enjoyed the comfort of the bike & he is over the moon with the work that was done,

* new inner & outer brake & gear cables

* new wheels (rear axle was bent and the hub cups were beyond usable)

* new headset bearings

* new fork

* new gear shifters

* new bottom bracket bearings

 

Tyres & brake blocks to be replaced at his next service.

 

My advise if attempting to change the bearings yourself, make sure all grease is removed from the headset cups (cotton buds are ideal for this) don't over-tighten the adjuster cup when fitting your new bearings, you should be aiming for as much free rotation without play as possible.  doing this will prolong the life of the bearings and help prevent gauling in the headset cups.

 

If you have any questions, ask away

 

Matthew

Thanks for the advice Matthew 

 

I couldn't see that changing headstock bearings would be anymore complicated than say replacing and adjusting choked bearings on a car's drum brakes, so it was just a bit of a voyage of discovery for me.  I've already cleaned off all the old grease; good suggestion about cotton buds. I happened to use a flat bladed screwdriver inside old socks, which I have lots of from when the kids were growing up - make great rags.

 

Gaz

 

EDIT:  All done   Bit fiddly getting the adjustment right as the circlip would compress with the cap screw, but not uncompress when I backed off the cap screw, so it took two or three attempts to get it right.  I checked, but the circlip didn't have 'Skoda' stamped on it! :think:   Anyway, job's a good 'un, no new bike for me just yet. 

Glad you got it sorted - the bigger costs will be if you want to replace the gearset. Brakes and cables should be cheap and easy enough to replace (£20 all in at a guess, more if you need new outers as well).

Why do the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike seem to be more complicated than on my car???

 

Bleeding them seems to be bordering on some sort of religeous ceremony.

Why do the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike seem to be more complicated than on my car???

 

Bleeding them seems to be bordering on some sort of religeous ceremony.

 

What system do you have?

What system do you have?

 

They're Shimano BR-M395 I believe.

Why do the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike seem to be more complicated than on my car???

 

Bleeding them seems to be bordering on some sort of religeous ceremony.

My guess would be because the entire system is on a smaller scale the effects of any air left will be magnified

 

Edit - this is why I still have cable brakes on my bike!

Edited 9 July, 201510 yr by kilted

Due to their smaller scale, they can be fussy and tricky to bleed!

 

But once setup they are much much better than anything involving cables.

I've started going out on a Wednesday evening, with a group from Wakefield Triathlon Club
The tempo varies, dependant on ability/speed/route-knowledge
 

On the 15th we did a loop, dropping through; Crofton, Fitzwilliam, Hemsworth, South Kirkby, South Elmsall, Brierley, South Hiendley, Ryhill
 

Last night, because there were fewer of us, & dare I say, we knew the route, I reckoned we took roughly 15 minutes off a 25 mile lap (all legal, stopped at red-lights, etc...), so not a bad evening

I was happy, because I was the only one on a 'winter bike' (Ribble; heavy aluminium frame, mudguards), & dressed for inclement weather, all the others were in shorts, etc, on carbon bikes, & could still get off the front at times, & contest the hills
(granted, they weren't in 'race-mode' though)


 

I have ordered myself a new bike. Decided on a Giant Defy 1 2015 which arrives on monday. Currently on sale for £719

I had a customer last month with a bike that needed more money spending on it than it would have cost him to buy a new bike. He spent the money on his old steel bike.

 

He had his reason's (some are personal) but basically he enjoyed the comfort of the bike & he is over the moon with the work that was done,

* new inner & outer brake & gear cables

* new wheels (rear axle was bent and the hub cups were beyond usable)

* new headset bearings

* new fork

* new gear shifters

* new bottom bracket bearings

 

Tyres & brake blocks to be replaced at his next service.

 

My advise if attempting to change the bearings yourself, make sure all grease is removed from the headset cups (cotton buds are ideal for this) don't over-tighten the adjuster cup when fitting your new bearings, you should be aiming for as much free rotation without play as possible.  doing this will prolong the life of the bearings and help prevent gauling in the headset cups.

 

If you have any questions, ask away

 

Matthew

Matt,

On a separate matter can you provide your views on bike fitting please.

To be brief......I am a regular cyclist, now 60. Couple of years back I had a total knee replacement. I get no pain now from cycling but a couple of people have watched me riding and said that my bike set up does not look right. I have to ride to accommodate the prosthetic knee as it does not flex fully.

I am thinking about having a bike fitting session. I am thinking I may be better set with shorter cranks lengths etc etc.

Have you any views on the value of bike fitting. They are not cheap but may be worth the investment.

Thanks,

Kev

Matt,

On a separate matter can you provide your views on bike fitting please.

To be brief......I am a regular cyclist, now 60. Couple of years back I had a total knee replacement. I get no pain now from cycling but a couple of people have watched me riding and said that my bike set up does not look right. I have to ride to accommodate the prosthetic knee as it does not flex fully.

I am thinking about having a bike fitting session. I am thinking I may be better set with shorter cranks lengths etc etc.

Have you any views on the value of bike fitting. They are not cheap but may be worth the investment.

Thanks,

Kev

Kev,

 

I damaged my achilies tendon & calf a few years ago and was told that it partially due to over use & partially down to how I had my bike setup. I paid for a Retul bike fit (once my leg was on the mend) & found that I was more uncomfortable after the bike fit (but it looked right), I've tweeked the setup slightly to try and improve my comfort but still found that my leg ached when ridden over 35miles.

 

I've since changed the whole setup (back to how it was) and can now enjoy much longer rides (50miles +) without the fear of leg aches & pains.

 

Personally, if you are comfortable & don't get any aches/pains then keep riding

 

Matthew

I've since changed the whole setup (back to how it was) and can now enjoy much longer rides (50miles +) without the fear of leg aches & pains.

 

Personally, if you are comfortable & don't get any aches/pains then keep riding

 

Matthew

 

+1 

 

From a life-long disability (I'm 51) I'm not able to fully straighten my right leg.  Although I've not had a bike fit, my last new bike was set up correctly for me at purchase.  My first rides were odd and I just put it down to getting used to a new bike.  I considered changing it, thinking I'd just made a duff choice, but then adjusted it to how it felt right for me, and haven't looked back since.  I've adjusted the saddle a bit since as my knee extension has increased from exercise, but that's it.

 

I agree with Matthew.  If you can get comfortable, you don't need an expert to fix what ain't broke.

 

Gaz 

A bike fit will set you in a position within a set of guidelines for optimal performance, in my opinion, if you don't race, then you don't need one if you are already comfortable on a bike. 

 

There are a lot of methods out there on how to setup saddle height - for/aft position - tilt / reach - drop etc etc (just have a quick google), my preferred method is to get out and ride, make small adjustments and only make 1 adjustment at a time, (saddle height/for-aft setup then cleats), then I move onto the reach and drop to the handlebars, then gear shifter & brake lever positioning, then tilt on the seat.

 

I find it works for me, everyone is different

Gas and Matt,

Thanks for your feedback. You both have confirmed much of what I felt might be the case.

I may experiment with slightly shorter cranks in the near future. Other than that I will stick with things as they are as my bike set up feels fine and 50+mile rides don't cause me any pains.

Off to the bike shop tomorrow to have a snoop around. Quite fancy a Genesis Equilibrium.

Enjoy your biking.

Kev

I very much agree with the posts above, if you're getting no pain then clearly you've a good setup that works for you and it's surprisingly easy to make just a small adjustment which mucks it all up.  As I'm reasonably new to cycling (started four years ago) I've a lot to learn but I do find it's difficult at times sorting the useful advice from the not so useful advice and I've made changes I've seriously regretted after being pressurised into them because it's the done thing.

 

John

With cycling you fall into one of a number of camps.

 

There is the weekend hardcore cyclist, who follow the Velo rules. Well worth a read. note.. once you have read the rules, you must obey

 

Those who follow the current trends

 

Commuters

 

Leisure riders

 

etc etc etc

 

 

Here is my advice to anyone. It doesn't matter if you ride a £50 Appollo or a £5k Bianchi, if you enjoy getting out on your bike, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.

 

Comfort, make single small changes to your riding position and be patient. Not every saddle will suit everyone, they are a personal choice and what is comfy for your mate or what you read on the internet might not suit you. If your looking for help choosing a saddle, most bike shops should know how to measure your sit bones etc and be able to advise on a suitable saddle choice.

 

Maintenance, not matter what bike you have, maintenance is key to keeping your bike in the best possible condition. After a wet/muddy/gritty ride, clean your chain/dry it then re-lube it. If you have v-brakes/Cantilever or road brakes, keep your braking surface on your rims clean, this will help keep your braking to perform at its best and will  help prolong the life of your rims.

 

Clothing, padded cycling shorts are great. get what feels comfortable for you, multiple pads are better than a single pad.  Decathlon make good value for money clothing.

 

If your looking to start with cycling & haven't cycled for a while, the Sky Go-Rides are an excellent way to get into cycling, lots of like minded people go on the Go-Rides, some also include a food stop at a café (check your ride for this). The people leading will be qualified leaders and will be able to offer advise/pointers for keeping safe on the roads too.

 

or

 

If you have a question/query, feel free to send me a PM or post in here and I'll do my best to answer any questions (more contact details can be found on my website, link in my signature)

 

Matthew

Matt
I couldn't agree more, regarding just enjoy your bike

 

Saddles?, I use the (original style/model) Selle-Italia 'Flite' on my Ribble commuter/training-bike) & there's one on my Ridley too (& set-back as far as it will go, with a couple of mm ground out of the seat-pin clamps to allow that extra lit rearwards movement)

As for postioning, granted, yes it matters far more on a road-bike, than a MTB

I know plenty of people whose position does look awful, like a chimp on a bike (130mm + stems, 'knees round their ears'), who look at me, & ask why I sit so far back




 

I agree MTB positioning isn't quite as crucial but still important, I've had a problem with a seat post slipping just a small amount on an MTB due to a loose seat clamp which I didn't realise until I marked up the seat post.  With the clamp tightened up and the seat holding a a position slightly higher, the knee pain is gone but still a surprise given how small the difference was.

My saddle of choice

 

 

 

What that one is clamped to....

 

 

 

Slightly better photograph, for illustration purposes
Sadly the background is nowhere near as nice as John Carrs gorgeously designed bridge, at FerryBridge
 

 

 

Edited 9 August, 201510 yr by Richard A Thackeray

Has anyone in the Yorkshire area booked into this?

 

http://www.bikechallenge.co.uk/

 

I did it last year, it was a cracking event and is run by the local Scout group

Richard, do you actually manage to stay on that saddle or just slide off the back. It's quite an angle you have on it.

Even though I have a couple of bikes I wouldn't say I'm a cyclist anymore as I've barely ridden either over the last year due to work and getting back into running. I have an Evil Sovereign hardtail MTB and a PlanetX XLS CX bike. Love the Sovereign but had the urge to try road bikes but it just didn't gel so ended up an expensive mistake so got the CX instead which I feel much happier with, I guess I like to get dirty.

Not for me but my sons new model.

My youngest son has always been keen on the outdoors and loves his cycling. He has been attending the saturday & Monday G0 Ride sessions at Holmfirth Cycling Club, this has really sparked an interest in cycling & has shown something that seems to come quite natural to him. He has been asking for a little while about racing, so over the summer he has attended a couple of road race training sessions.

 

He now has is Race License with his British Cycling membership & is signed up with Holmfirth Cycling Club (just need to order his kit now)

 

Here he is practising his lunging for the finish line

 

A Cyclocross training session on his old MTB

 

He is going to have more kit than me soon!  I have a pair of rims & hubs on order to build him up some CX wheels & hopefully we can get him entered into a few CX races over the winter

 

I didn't get any pics of him in Greno Woods over the summer, but he loves Steel City. A boy of many talents (so long as they involve 2 wheels)