Entries Tagged 'bikes' ↓

Turbo trainers and rollers allow you to train whatever the weather. They are also great for warming up for a race. A few quick advantages of turbo trainers

• Safe – protected from cars
• Allow you to do interval sessions uninterrupted by traffic lights e.t.c.
• Make it easier to measure performance (you can isolate more factors like wind)

What to Look for in a Turbo Trainer

• Matches your existing road bike set up and feel
• Relatively quiet
• Easy to assemble, carry to race and put bike in.
• Reliable
• Variable resistance settings so you can train for high cadence / low cadence.

Some of the Best Turbo Trainers

Lemond Revolution Turbo Trainer

• This is most innovative turbo trainer since it was invented. Rather than putting wheel on a roller, you simply remove your back wheel and put your chain onto a cassette which is hooked up to a turbo resistance and lock in rear dropouts. This enables you to replicate the feel of riding a road bike exactly. Continue reading →

• My Current saddle is a Bontrager saddle weighing 185 grams. For the hill climb season, I’m seeking to aim for the lightest possible road bike. A saddle is an easy way to save 100grams. Because hill climbs are quite short, comfort isn’t an issue. There is enough pain in the legs to worry about a rock hard saddle. These are some of the lightweight saddles I researched. I will be buying the AX lightness saddle.

• Selle Italia CX Zero  I bought this a while back because it was advertised at 81grams. However, when I put on my electronic scales it came in at 111 grams (advertised weight 81 grams) – £325. I sent it back because I wanted to get something lighter.

• Tune Speed Needle Alcantara (87grams claimed) Tune Speed Euro 199

Selle Italia SLR C64

AX Lightness Saddle

• AX Lightness – Sprint 69 grams (link)

The Phoenix saddle at 47 grams is lightest I can find

• Road use only
• Weight: From 47 grams depending on rider weight etc.
• Length: 260 mm
• Width: 125 mm
• Height: 61 mm
• Seat: 100% Carbon and Kevlar Pre-preg Rowings
• Rails: 100% Carbon composite
• Adjustment range: 75mm
• Special features: 1 piece composite monocoque.

Price: £300.00

Lightest Comfortable Saddle

Focus Cayo

Focus Cayo Bike Review

The Ford Focus Cayo was awarded best bike under £1,000 by Cycling Weekly and offers an excellent choice for the keen tourer, and racer. The bike offers excellent features; to get a lightweight carbon frame, fork and ultegra groupset could cost upto £2,000 on other bikes. If you wish to get started in road racing, this offers a very good value buy as it offers a high spec for your money.

The Focus Cayo has a light Carbon 12k frame which gives the bike a total weight of just over 8 kilos. This is a pretty good weight for the price. The Groupset is a mix of Shimano Ultegra SL 10 speed. It also comes with an option of triple chain-ring offering 30 gears for the cyclo sportive.

• Focus 12K Light carbon frame
• Improved stiffness to weight factor
• Shimano Ultegra SL 20-speed or 30-Speed
• New Truvativ Elita crankset in compact or triple options
• New Light Mavic Aksium
• Schwalbe Stelvio tyres
• Weight: 8.05kg (size 56 without pedals)

• Focus Cayo 2011, 2012 at Wiggle

These are some of the best quality tubulars for road racing and time trialling. I recommend getting best possible tubulars you can afford. There’s no point in getting cheap tubulars more likely to puncture. For most time trials on UK roads, I want a reliably puncture resistant tyre. I usually go for Continental competition and Corsa EVO CS. These offer good combination of light weight, low rolling resistance and good puncture resistance.

For the hill climbs, I researched some super-light track tubs. You are much more likely to puncture with track tubs, but for hill climbs, the short distance and altitude gain make it worthwhile. For hill climbs, I like a Vittoria Chrono Time trial (165 grams) I also like the look of the Veloflex Record.

Continental Competition 22 – 280 grams – £61 wiggle – 5 layers of puncture protection, grippy tyre. Handmade in Germany. Won three Paris Roubaix. Very tough tyre. Long lasting excellent grip. I’ve used these for two seasons. Offer very good performance. Very good puncture resistance and hard wearing. Seem to be quite resistant to cuts and nicks. Slightly on heavy side compared to some rivals, but 280 grams is still lightweight and good for tough terrains.

Continental Competition 19 – 239 grams

Bontrager XXX lite only 255 grams for 700*23 | £69.99  Evans Cycles

Schwalbe Ultraremo – 240grams 700*22  Fast rolling triple compound | £64.99 | Evans Cycles

Vittoria Corsa EVO CX (2008) – 240 grams list price £62 | £44. wiggle Similar to Continental Competition. One of best selling tubulars. I had a few punctures using this, but that might have been bad luck. Overall was quite happy with performance. Can’t tell difference for rolling resistance between these and Continental competition.

Vittoria Pista Evo CS (Track) Tubular Tyre £61 | wiggle  – Weight: 700×19- 140 grams, 700×22 – 160grams. Light weight for track. Great tub, but no real puncture resistance.

Vittoria Crono Time Trial – 700*22 165 grams £76 retail price | Wiggle (video about putting on tub) Similar weight to the Track tubular; this claims to have one layer of puncture protection which is improved on previous version. I will be using this in hill climbs to get lowest possible weight. However, for ordinary time trials you are risking greater chance of punctures. Nevertheless very supply and fast. Uses latex inner tube for improved comfort when racing.  Best for front tyre and is rear wheel is more prone to punctures. Also not long lasting on roughish roads (i.e. British roads)

Veloflex Record Tubular RRP £99.99 – 700*20 – 180 grams | Ribble | Wiggle £72 – 350 threads per inch core spun cotton casing construction. Puncture protection Belt: Calicot puncture resistant layer

Related

• Best puncture proof tyres
• Best road tyres

For my new Trek Madone 6.9 I wanted a pretty good lock. Obviously I’m not leaving it in the centre of town. Only inside the house. But, even inside the house, insurance requires it to be locked and prevent opportunist theft.

The Kryptonite New York Lock, offers exceptional strength without being too expensive (£74.99 is a lot but there are locks which can cost twice as much). I also like the new version of the key and key hole, it feels more solid and less fragile than older versions. It is made of double re-inforced steel and a double deadbolt locking mechanism. There is no weak spot in the lock. The best thing about the lock is that it will withstand the ordinary cutting tools a thief may be carried around.

It is called the New York lock for good reason. Locals in New York say you really need a lock with this kind of strength if you are going to be locking your bike in Manhatten. Magazine reviews by road cc said the lock withstood an attempt to break with big bolt clippers, hammer and chisel. That’s good enough for me.

Disadvantages of Kryptonite New York Lock

The main disadvantage of the Kryptonite New York lock is its weight. To carry around on the bike is to add an extra 2KG, not something you want to fit in your rucksack. Also the attachment to fit lock to frame is a little fiddly for those with a road bike

Would I buy It?

Yes, I have bought it to lock a bike I keep at home. I don’t use it on my commuting bike, as I prefer to ride a cheap bike into town. But, if I ever get a top of the range single speed, I would consider buying this for that, though I might prefer to get a slightly lighter one.

Value for Money?

For £80 it is hard to beat in terms of thief resistance. Bike shops often recommend spending 10% of the value of a bike in the lock so this is good for bikes upto £1,000. But, to be honest for bike costing more than £1,000 it’s hard to improve on this lock too much.

I won’t be carrying the Kryptonite lock around, but I am using it for inside garage.

Related

• Kryptonite Locks at Evans cycles
• New York Kryptonite at Wiggle
• How To Stop your Getting Bike Stolen
• Kryptonite.com

I have had two trek 1000 (the first one was stolen) and overall I am quite happy with it.

Trek 1.2

At a RRP of £549, it is just above the target of £500. But, I will include it because it is pretty close; and if you search you might be able to pick up a new model with 10% discount. Some people have complained about the wheels going out of true quite easily, but, I have not experienced this since owning one for a couple of year years. The trek 1.2 comes with an aluminium frame and carbon fork. A carbon fork is a very nice upgrade helping to reduce the weight and increase comfort when riding. The Trek 1.2, makes an excellent choice for a good commuting bike (I have fitted both panniers and mudguards) or an entry level racing bike. For just over £500 it offers good value if unexceptional performance.

Continue reading →

The Focus Cayo offers excellent value to both the new cyclist and the keen club cyclist. The Focus Cayo 105, offers a really excellent groupset on a carbon fibre frame. Making it very light weight and high performance for the price. It has specifications that could easily be on a bike twice its price.

The Carbon fibre frame is made of Unidirectional Mitsubishi carbon. It has between 4 and 7 layers to give a good combination of low weight and strength. As you would expect with a carbon fibre frame and fork, it gives a good smooth, neutral ride; absorbing shocks giving a feeling of rider control.

It looks pretty good thanks to a nice carbon weave finish on the frame; the only drawback is perhaps the rather invasive logos which are perhaps bigger than necessary, especially on the top tube.

The wheelset is Fulcrum Racing 7 and the tyres are Continental Ultra Sport. These are absolutely fine, but, if you wanted to upgrade the bike later, this might be a good place to start. Continue reading →

3 Bikes

For £500, you can get a pretty decent commuting bike. Personally, I wouldn’t be keen to spend much more than £500 for a commuting bike. If you lock the bike up in town, there is an increased chance of theft, so with just a £500 you get more peace of mind than you would if you had spent over a £1,000

There is a great choice of commuting bikes for under £500.

Classic Commuting Bikes

If you are looking for a classic, stylish bike, try this Dawes  Diploma It looks like an old fashioned classic bike. It may not be fastest bike from A to B, but, it does the business and looks pretty cool too. One limitation is the 3 speed Sturmey archer, but, unless you live on a hilly route 3 speed should be sufficient.

For real style, why not have a look at the classic Dutch Gazelle. It has a real continental flavour and stands out with distinctive design and colour. But, difficult to source in the UK, more likely to find on ebay second hand.

• Pros of Classic Bikes – look good, fits in with ‘cycle chic’ appearance. Steady to ride
• Cons of classic bikes – are slower to ride, not great for long distances or up steep hills. More attractive to thieves than your common MTB.

Hybrid Bike

If you are more practically minded, you might like to buy a hybrid bike. This is a cross between a road bike and mountain bike. It comes with road size wheels, but a thicker tread than ordinary racing bike wheels. In a sense hybrid bikes are simpler, cheaper versions of mountain bikes. They are fine for commuting, offering good stability and practicality. They can be easily adapted for panniers and mudguards. There is a great choice of hybrid bikes under £500. If you are willing to spend £300 you can bikes such as the Dawes Discovery. Hybrid bikes from under £150 will be made of cheap steel and will typically be quite heavy with more unreliable components. Also, Focus hybrid bikes offer good value such as the Focus Marakas for £300 built around a 6061 Aluminium alloy.

Pinnacle Neon Two

At £450, the Pinnacle Neon Two offers excellent features for a sub £500 bike. It is made by Evans cycles and so helps to offer low price. Not too flashy but gets you round town with a nice compromise of 24 gears, disc brakes and aluminium frame. See: Review of Pinnacle Neon Two

More hybrid bike recommendations

Cannondale Bad Boy

The Cannondale Bad Boy is a pretty sturdy hybrid bike – closer to the MTB spectrum than the road bike. It comes in a distinctive matt blank finish and has pretty sturdy Schwalbe Kojak Bad Boy Edition 559 x 50 tyres.
Hybrid bikes are mass produced and so give very good value. It depends how far you have to commute. The longer the commute, the more sporty you will want to buy. If you are commuting a couple of miles, a classic Dutch style bike will be great because speed isn’t so important.

Fold Up

In the foldup category, have a look at these foldup bikes. Foldup bikes are great for anyone who has to commute part of the way on the train. Look for bikes which are not too heavy and easy to dismantle and put up. Brompton are the best known type of foldups and they have options for under £500.Dahon are also a very good brand and the Dahon Vitesse is sold for £350 and is said to have a folding time of 15 seconds.

Hybrid Bikes at Evans

Mountain Bikes

Another option is a mountain bike. Under £500 the mountain bikes are more geared towards road use anyway.  The Specialised hardrock Disc gives you disc brakes on an MTB for under £400. It is good value commuting bike; the wide wheels will slow you down, but great for snow or difficult conditions.

Single Speed

Increasingly popular is the single speed commuting bike. Single speed offer great simplicity and ease of maintenance. Even on hilly routes, some people just like riding single speed or fixed. The increased simplicity doesn’t mean cheaper. They are not mass produced so there are not the same economies of scale. The Charge Plug range offers cheapest introduction single speed. The Specialized Langster comes in at around £500. The Steel version comes in track frame and track handlebars which I didn’t particularly enjoy for commuting it was too aggressive riding position. However, the aluminium version is based on a more classic road bike.

My Commuting Bike

My commuting bike is a trek road bike. I bought second hand for £300. Brand new it would have cost £450. It is quite a practical commuting bike as it is relatively fast and has pannier rack, mudguards, lights. It’s only limitation is when we get a dusting of snow, the thin wheels are pretty thin for the the weather conditions.

Bikes Just Over £500

If you’re looking for a commuting bike with real style and elegance, check out this review of the Viva Urban de Luxe. It’s rrp was £699, but if you’re lucky you may catch it on offer for £499. 7 speed hub geared bike (easy to change, but a little heavier). This is a commuting bike for someone wanting a little style and good looks

Related Articles

• Tips for commuting by bike
• Hybrid Commuting bikes
• Best puncture proof bikes – one of the best upgrades for a commuting bike

Touring bikes need to be versatile, comfortable and at the same time offering a good performance on the road. Most touring bikes are suitable for the odd off-road / badly made road. However, if you want to do a lot of offroad riding, you may be better off looking to a converted mountain bike with panniers.

At first glance a touring bike looks similar to a road bike. The frame is similar, dropped handlebars offering a range of positions. A touring bike will have extras to a road bike. A good touring bike will also be very versatile useful for commuting.

• Third chain ring – for greater gear choice (often referred to as having a granny ring – useful for lugging luggage up steep hills)
• Wider tyres (perhaps 28′ on 700c wheels) These tyres offer greater stability and comfort than thinner road tyres.
• Mudguards
• Panniers front / back

Frames for Touring Bikes

Many touring bikes are based on Steel frames.Note these are often referred to as Cro-Moly Frames. This means a mix of predominantly steel with other metals to make a stronger and lighter frame.

For example, the Reynolds 853, 531 frames (see: Reynolds frames) or Columbus SLX. These are high quality steel frames. Despite a reputation for being heavy. These top end steel alloys can actually be surprisingly light. The main advantages of steel are:

• Inherent springiness and ability to absorb. This makes a more comfortable ride which is important for when you are spending long hours on a tour. With steel frames, you don’t need any shock absorbers.
• Steel is also quite versatile, if you have a crash it can be more easily welded back. If a Carbon frame springs a crack, that is probably it – end of frame.
• ‘Steel is real’ – a popular saying amongst cyclists. I enjoy riding steel frames as it gives a good responsive feel.
• Most custom frame builders work with steel.  For example, with Robert Penn developed his dream bike, he got a custom 953 Reynolds frame built by a local frame builder (Brian Rourke).
• A good steel frame can last for a lifetime.

Disadvantages of Steel

• Can be heavier than many Aluminium alloys.
• Can easily rust if exposed to the rain.

See more: best bike frame material

Touring Bike Models

Unfortunately, touring bikes don’t tend to be cheap. It’s a little bit like single speed bikes, because they are not mass-marketed they tend to be a little expensive for what you get.

Dawes Galaxy

The Dawes Galaxy is one of the best selling touring bikes on the market. Within this brand of bikes there is actually a range of different options based around the same principles. For example, at the top of the range Galaxy model we have the £3,000 Titanium Framed  and Shimano Ultegra groupset edition. Dawes Galaxy 2009 Ti

If you don’t fancy spending so much money, you could look at the Dawes Galaxy Plus 2009. It is based on a Reynolds 653 Steel frame and Chromoloy Fork. With mudguards, Cargo carrier and panniers it comes to 13.5Kg. Slightly heavier than the Titanium version but will be in more people’s budget. For £1,200 you do get good value. The Reynolds frame offers a comfortable ride whilst being responsive to the power generated. Dawes Galaxy Plus

Another alternative touring bike is something like the Cannondale Trekking conquest. Built around an SI Trekking lite frame and Shimano Deore. It provides a good touring bike for under £700. There are different versions of the Cannondale Trekking model. For £1,200 you can buy a lightweight version based on SI Trekking Superlite frame and Shimano LX, it also comes with hydraulic disc brakes a superiod braking system.

Ridgeback Voyage

• Frame: Reynolds 520 Cro Mo
• Fork: Cro Moly
• Gearset: mix of Shimano sora and Shimano Deore – 27 gears. 48/38/28 chainrings
• Brakes: Tektro 992AG
• Handlebars and Stem: 6061 Aluminium Ergo Tour
• Tyres: Continental Contact 700 x 32c
• Saddle: Tour leather

The Ridgeback Voyage is good value for a touring bike. It costs under £800 and comes equipped ready to tour. It is dissappointing to pay £800 and still only get Sora and Deore gears, but this is common for touring bikes. It is a very solid built bike with potential for great long distance rides. A good no-nonense introduction to touring bikes

Santos Touring Bikes

A range of custom built touring bikes. These range from £1,000 to under £3,000 for a top of the range touring bikes. The Santos Travel Master 2.6 was used by James Bowthorpe in a successful around the world cycle challenge (18,000 miles in 178 days) so comes very well tested. It makes innovative use of Santos chain drive and Rolhoff gears – for ease of use and maintenance. See: Review of Santos Touring Bikes

Touring Bikes Under £1000

• Ridgeback Platinum – comes in at £999. Giving Shimano 105, Carbon Fork and Triple butted aluminium. Use of aluminium frame helps keep price down. The Carbon fork gives more cushioning on the front end of the bike to compensate for the loss of steel cushioning.
• Dawes Galaxy. – use of Reynolds 653 tubing
• Kona Sutra 201
• Claud Butler Regent 2011

What to Look for in A Good Touring Bicycle

• Strength.
• Durability
• Low Maintenance
• Room for Panniers
• Range of Gears
• Reasonable weight. A touring bike will never win a weight weenies competition, but choosing low weight components will help on those hills.

Touring Bikes

• Touring Bikes at Evans cycles
• Touring bikes at Chain Reaction cycles

Related

• Touring Bikes at CTC
• Tips for cycle touring

Cyclo Sportives are increasingly popular offering cyclists a great one day challenge from anything from a 50 mile to 200 mile ride. Mostly cyclo sportives are held on roads, so you will want to choose a bike designed for speed on the road. Most sportives will provide feeding along the route so panniers will be unnecessary. I would recommend choosing a mid range road bike and adjusting according to your preferences. However, whatever price you are willing to pay, it needs to be relatively comfortable given the length of time spent on the bike.

Entry Level Sportif Bikes.

For £400 to £500 you can get a good solid road bike which will be fine for even the longest of cyclo sportive challenges. Typically for £500 you will get a lightweight aluminium frame with basic groupset such as Shimano Tiagra.

• Advice on buying first road bike

Sportif Bikes under £1,000

For £1,000, you will be able to save 1 or 2 Kg off the weight of the bike and get a carbon fibre fork and more efficient groupset. There is a reasonable improvement in performance which will be noted by a keen cyclist. For a £1,000 there is a really good selection of road bikes that will be ideal for cyclo-sportives.

See: best road bikes under £1,000

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