What have you been doing today?

[durhamplumber]

Working,then cycling..Perfect day.

 

[crystal ball]

Nearly finished my year end, one month to go, found a stray £150 payment by cheque in my account, no idea where it came from, bike ride this afternoon, on the wine now

 

[Mottie]

Just a general dossing about morning. Crept over the allotment around 3.00 and made up one anti-butterfly frame for when I plant out some of my cauliflowers and cabbages. Those bastards are not having a free meal on me again this year! I used some roofing battens, 8 metres of 20mm blue water pipe that I pulled out of a skip and some skip netting. Well pleased with it. I would have posted a photo but my phone went flat. Came home at 5.00, jumped in the shower and made a salmon stir fry for me and my wife and we finished that off with a bottle of Sainsbury own brand Sauvignon Blanc.

 

[durhamplumber]

Crept over the allotment around 3.00

Lol...Mottie,this lockdown is driving you mad.Or maybe it was 3 in afternoon.

 

[sodthisforfun]

Just a general dossing about morning. Crept over the allotment around 3.00 and made up one anti-butterfly frame for when I plant out some of my cauliflowers and cabbages. Those bastards are not having a free meal on me again this year! I used some roofing battens, 8 metres of 20mm blue water pipe that I pulled out of a skip and some skip netting. Well pleased with it. I would have posted a photo but my phone went flat. Came home at 5.00, jumped in the shower and made a salmon stir fry for me and my wife and we finished that off with a bottle of Sainsbury own brand Sauvignon Blanc.

When I had an allotment I went and bought offcuts of net curtains for that & sewed them all together. Looked rather chavvy down my plot and others took the pee but it worked. Perfect brassicas!

 

[Bodd]

Just done 13 miles on my bike. That's good for me as I'm not as fit as I was. Thinking of getting a Road bike now.

It's sad to see so much rubbish dumped on beautiful country lanes.

 

[durhamplumber]

Just done 13 miles on my bike. That's good for me as I'm not as fit as I was. Thinking of getting a Road bike now.

It's sad to see so much rubbish dumped on beautiful country lanes.

Dont get a carbon road bike Bodd..v v v uncomfortable and stiff..yes the rubbish is abloody disgrace..my steel tourer is v comfy..mountain bike with brooks S17 saddle not bad..road bike nightmare after half a day..13miles is fine...just enjoy it.

 

[Munroast]

Dont get a carbon road bike Bodd..v v v uncomfortable and stiff..yes the rubbish is abloody disgrace..my steel tourer is v comfy..mountain bike with brooks S17 saddle not bad..road bike nightmare after half a day..13miles is fine...just enjoy it.

agreed, had a modern bike for a while, soon went back to my 1980s steel, speed is not remotely important to me, being comfortable and enjoying the miles is. 114 mile this week, having today off, start a new week the morrow.

And another thing, I doubt a carbon state-of-the-art road bike would stand the test of time let alone big winter miles

 

[Bodd]

My mates just offered thus to me. It Aluminum Carrera TFD Ltd edition

Any good?

 

[Munroast]

chain looks a bit slack

 

[Brigadier]

My experience of bikes is that aluminium will be even stiffer .
It also fails catastrophically, unlike steel (which bends before breaking).

 

[Bodd]

chain looks a bit slack

I think that's a brand new bike. Its not his one.

 

[Bodd]

My experience of bikes is that aluminium will be even stiffer .
It also fails catastrophically, unlike steel (which bends before breaking).

Stiffer in which way?

I don't want to pay a fortune. I'll see how I get on to see if a really want to take it seriously.

 

[Munroast]

Stiffer in which way?

I don't want to pay a fortune. I'll see how I get on to see if a really want to take it seriously.

a stiffer more rigid bike will be faster and more responsive, but the down side is; it will knock hell out of the riders bones. Steel has a little give and a little flex, it will absorb those poor road surfaces better giving a more comfortable ride.

If you want a bike for short distance racing (particularly hill climbs when you are putting a huge amount of energy through the frame) the the stiffer the frame the better (you don't want t be wasting power flexing metal). For longer rides enjoying the countryside (proper cycling) then it needs to be steel.

Many other opinions exist!

 

[Brigadier]

Stiffer in which way?

I don't want to pay a fortune. I'll see how I get on to see if a really want to take it seriously.

Four main frame materials.

Carbon. Very expensive, very strong, very light, can be made as stiff as hell. Doesn't rust, relatively easily damaged, irreparable.

Titanium. Pretty similar to carbon, iirc. But more durable.

Aluminum. Like carbon, but cheaper.

Steel. Heavier, cheaper, will rust. Durable, can be repaired, more comfortable to ride, as it is more flexible than the above.

Also, chromoly steel. Like steel, but more expensive, lighter, and more expensive.


Munroist did a decent summary.


My experience of aluminium (with high pressure tyres) was of bone - shaking hardness. Very fast, but painful over any length of time .