Motorbikes and pushbikes

[Mikkel]

So I dropped off the cage at the panel beater this morning to get some rust fixed. I'd been a clever bastard and brought my push bike along thinking that it would be a pleasant way to get to the university... it's less than 10 kms and it's flat. All good.

Think again!

I haven't been on the pushbike for just about half a year and in the mean time I've taken up motorcycling and have done about 4,000 kms on the ZXR over the last two and a half months.
I don't think I've ever tried anything quite as awkward as getting back on my pushbike. I used to bike a lot and were both confident and comfortable on the thing. But not today - I felt an utter lack of stability and braking power. While I overtook other cyclists I still felt as if I was effectively sitting still...
Am not looking forward to getting back on it to pick up the car on thursday! And I'm sure going to take the bus home today.

[jrandom]

I still like riding my Trek on the road (alloy frame, Shimano Ultegra all round, Mavic Aksium wheelset). It's a different buzz to motorcycling; the fun derives from the exertion and the feeling of moving under your own power, conquering the hills, driving yourself to your physical limits.

I'll be doing a few endurance road races in 2008 to keep my hand in. Nothing too serious, but it's a great sport, even though I'm not that shit hot at it.

:)

<img src="http://i9.tinypic.com/6wopjtc.jpg"/>

[gijoe1313]

I've got a big ol'MTB, used to cruise out to Clevedon/country bits and all parts of Auckland on it (at night) ... haven't used it in a long while (hmm that co-incided when I got my motorbikes! :scratch:)

Guess I'll have to make the time to get it out again! So, does KB have a bicycle section? :lol: :o "Kiwi Bicycler ... a site for all New Zealand pedal power bikers"

[MisterD]

Guess I'll have to make the time to get it out again! So, does KB have a bicycle section? :lol: :o "Kiwi Bicycler ... a site for all New Zealand pedal power bikers"

That'll be vorb you're thinking of....

Where's all the usual KB cyclist-bashers gone? We can re-tread all that stuff about bunches of cyclists not obeying road rules or paying rego.

If I can pop over to the 3rd for a moment...MisterD did Taupo in 5hrs 33mins and is over the moon for the lads, Brian. :niceone:

[jrandom]

MisterD did Taupo in 5hrs 33mins...

What a wannabe pro racer auw! ;)

An excellent time, sir. Well done. Any photos from the day you'd care to share?

[Coyote]

How fast are road push bikes? Are they any easier to ride than a mountain bike? I imagine so with the thinner wheels but I've never ridden one myself. I'm pretty keen on getting one if they are that much better for when the VFR breaks down. Would be looking at going 30km at times on relatively flat ground (Upper Hutt to Petone), would that be hard to do? Not that fit but that's also why I'd like to get a proper bike (only got an old BMX and cheap Mountain bike, both with broken cranks).

[xwhatsit]

Heh. Not long ago I was doing the fork seals on my bike (my only transport). Got halfway through -- forks in a million bits, front end of the bike scattered around my garage, and then realised that I couldn't get the fork seals out (these forks are the kind where the seals stay in the legs after you pull the stanchions out). Not a big enough screwdriver for leverage -- and not big enough muscles!

No problem. I'll just chuck the fork legs in my backpack and push-bike-ride 10kms over the old Mangere Bridge to my Uncle's house in Onehunga.

Well first of all the tyres were flat. 1km to the petrol station to fill them up. Get to the start of the bridge and the wind is in my face the whole way. By the time I get into Onehunga I'm completely shagged out -- but no time for that, I've got to get up Pleasant St somehow (that's a seriously steep road, or at least seems that way). Eventually had to get off the bike and push. A girl waiting outside Onehunga Highschool looked very concerned that I might expire.

Anyway, get to Uncle's house, he whacks the seals out in 30 seconds, get back on my bike. Get to the steep part of Pleasant St and begin to shit myself. Never realised before how very fucking dangerous these are! Worse brakes than the CB, no suspension, twitchy as all hell, no engine braking... gahhhh... I let the speed creep up to 40kph or so and then tried to stop before the intersection but it was cutting it pretty fine.

Interestingly enough, when I went back over the bridge it would seem the wind had turned around and was in my face again :lol:

Scary machines those. Don't know how I got through my school days without ending up in hospital :laugh:

[bungbung]

Road bikes are much faster than mountain bikes for the same amount of effort.
My commute is 16km (hutt - thorndon) and takes about 30min on my road bike. On the mtb (with knobs) another 6-8min.

If you want to be able to ride off road, just get slicks for your mtb.
A mtb is much more comfortable to ride.

[MisterD]

How fast are road push bikes? Are they any easier to ride than a mountain bike?

Depends on the motor, doesn't it...I average about 27kph on my own, 30-35 in a bunch and max out at about 65 on the flat (sprinting)

[jrandom]

A mtb is much more comfortable to ride.

I disagree; I think the key with road bikes is that they are ultra sensitive to setup. A millimetre here or there in bar and seat height and rotation makes the difference between agony and comfort over hours in the saddle. Once you find the perfect fit for you (and it's a very personal thing) a road bike just becomes an extension of your body.

And, yes, Coyote - get a proper road bike if you can afford one. Point to point on the road, you will average something around one and a half times the speed that you can do on an MTB, and there's nothing quite like standing up on a hillclimb on the road and blasting past MTBs at 20kph when they're having trouble maintaining 10.

(Yes, I'm a wanker.)

What's your budget likely to be?

[Coyote]

Road bikes are much faster than mountain bikes for the same amount of effort.
My commute is 16km (hutt - thorndon) and takes about 30min on my road bike. On the mtb (with knobs) another 6-8min.

If you want to be able to ride off road, just get slicks for your mtb.
A mtb is much more comfortable to ride.
So much is broken on my mtb that it'll be easier (and probably cheaper) to start again, and i have a tendancy with projects to leave them linger.

I'll look for cheapies on trademe. Any brands or features to look out for?

[xwhatsit]

I'll look for cheapies on trademe. Any brands or features to look out for?

I believe Puch make small two-stroke bolt-on engines.

[Mikkel]

Hmmm, my point was more that it appeared to me that riding a motorcycle has fucked my pushbike habits... It just felt all wrong.

[Coyote]

Depends on the motor, doesn't it...I average about 27kph on my own, 30-35 in a bunch and max out at about 65 on the flat (sprinting)
That's quicker than I imagined. Sweeeet

I disagree; I think the key with road bikes is that they are ultra sensitive to setup. A millimetre here or there in bar and seat height and rotation makes the difference between agony and comfort over hours in the saddle. Once you find the perfect fit for you (and it's a very personal thing) a road bike just becomes an extension of your body.

And, yes, Coyote - get a proper road bike if you can afford one. Point to point on the road, you will average something around one and a half times the speed that you can do on an MTB, and there's nothing quite like standing up on a hillclimb on the road and blasting past MTBs at 20kph when they're having trouble maintaining 10.

(Yes, I'm a wanker.)

What's your budget likely to be?
That's good to know. Since the ride is going to take an hour, would be good to do it in comfort

As I said above, I'd be looking at 'cheapies'. I did have $500, but a new rear tyre and my mates egging me into going to the A1GP took that away. Don't have much now, but I'll continue getting more to spend. Looking at around $300 I'm guessing

[MisterD]

So much is broken on my mtb that it'll be easier (and probably cheaper) to start again, and i have a tendancy with projects to leave them linger.


Oh man, you gotta go singlespeed. It forces you to think about lines through corners and carrying speed, I guarantee it'll improve your motorbike handling...

[Coyote]

Hmmm, my point was more that it appeared to me that riding a motorcycle has fucked my pushbike habits... It just felt all wrong.
Sorry, kinda overtook your thread

I didn't have very good habits to begin with. They've only been made better since I see more idiots on the road going further/faster on the motorbike so I know to be even more careful. Only problem is I've become less fit being on a motorbike :p

As with everything though, if you've been off it a while, you'll be a bit shakey coming back to it. Give cycling a week and you should be sweet again. 6 months is a fair while

[Coyote]

Oh man, you gotta go singlespeed. It forces you to think about lines through corners and carrying speed, I guarantee it'll improve your motorbike handling...
Bit like my old RG, try to carry corner speed cause you're not going to go any faster out of the corner :p

Don't like the idea of my trying to do more daring things in hopes of keeping pace and running in front of a car though

[Rosie]

Hmmm, my point was more that it appeared to me that riding a motorcycle has fucked my pushbike habits... It just felt all wrong.

I found the opposite; learning to ride the motorbike really helped me on the mountain bike, and now I've started riding on gravel and a bit of off road, the mountain bike skills are really helping me on the motorbike.
But I have three different pushies and ride them all fairly frequently, so I'm used to switching between different 2 wheeled vehicles.

[jrandom]

I'll look for cheapies on trademe. Any brands or features to look out for?

A lot of great road bikes with very little wear tend to pop up on TardMe. Keep your eyes open and you'll easily find one to suit you. Feel free to PM me for comments on anything you're looking at.

If you can stretch your budget from $300 to $600 or so, you'll have a lot more luck. It'll take a while to find something decent at the $300 price point. You have to be realistic about the fact that you're not buying shit from the Warehouse - the engineering and materials that go into bicycle frames and drivetrains is up there with what you'll find on a modern high-performance motorcycle. The starting price for the kind of bike that'd suit you, retail, would be around $1,500.

Go to a bike shop first, though, and get measured for the frame size for each manufacturer you're considering. Riding on the wrong frame size will fuck you right from the start and there's little you can do to mitigate it.

Look for Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Chorus running gear and an aluminium alloy or steel frame, as well as standard two-ring 53/39 front gearing (triple cranks simply don't work well). Eight/nine/ten speed won't matter to you at this stage - buy a bike with an older eight-speed shifter and cassette if you can save money that way.

Try and budget for a pair of cycling shoes that can take cleats. Clipless pedals give you a huge advantage, even more so on the road than off. I recommend either Look or the NZ-designed Keywin pedal systems; consider flogging or throwing away your pedals and buying new ones if the bike you find comes with SPDs.

Once you're on your bike, take the tyres off and throw them away, and put Continental GP4000s (or another tyre of similar quality and focus - Michelin make good road bike tyres too) on.

Then go and find a good saddle. Selle Italia and Fizik are the brands you should look at. The Fizik Arione seems to be almost universally well-regarded these days.

Trust me, if you can manage to stretch your budget over time and attend to such bits and pieces, it'll be the difference between loving your road bike and hating it.

Last thing - you'll need proper cycling shorts.

[gijoe1313]

Wheres McJim? :scratch: He also used to race these things for fun! Thought he'd be pissing all over this thread now with his Scottish 'umour!

[bungbung]

I disagree; I think the key with road bikes is that they are ultra sensitive to setup. A millimetre here or there in bar and seat height and rotation makes the difference between agony and comfort over hours in the saddle. Once you find the perfect fit for you (and it's a very personal thing) a road bike just becomes an extension of your body.

Sure road bikes can be comfortable, just no substitute for cubic inches (of air).
My last road bike was of the age when rigid was good and more rigid was better. The hutt-welli commute has lots of bumps.

In saying that, it's like sprot bike vs cruisers. Some find the speed and handling of a road bike outweighs the blah blah

[disenfranchised]

Hmmm, my point was more that it appeared to me that riding a motorcycle has fucked my pushbike habits... It just felt all wrong.

I know exactly what you mean.
I used to take my mountain bike to woodhill, do jumps etc....

Now if I get on it, I feel scared...
It's so thin...and high seeming....seems like it might just collapse, or fall over.

Lowering the seat right down helped a bit.
I should start using it again....I reckon if I can get my confidence up on the mountain bike, cornering on the motorbike should seem safe and easy.

[Coyote]

A lot of great road bikes with very little wear tend to pop up on TardMe. Keep your eyes open and you'll easily find one to suit you. Feel free to PM me for comments on anything you're looking at.

If you can stretch your budget from $300 to $600 or so, you'll have a lot more luck. It'll take a while to find something decent at the $300 price point. You have to be realistic about the fact that you're not buying shit from the Warehouse - the engineering and materials that go into bicycle frames and drivetrains is up there with what you'll find on a modern high-performance motorcycle. The starting price for the kind of bike that'd suit you, retail, would be around $1,500.

Go to a bike shop first, though, and get measured for the frame size for each manufacturer you're considering. Riding on the wrong frame size will fuck you right from the start and there's little you can do to mitigate it.

Look for Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Chorus running gear and an aluminium alloy or steel frame, as well as standard two-ring 53/39 front gearing (triple cranks simply don't work well). Eight/nine/ten speed won't matter to you at this stage - buy a bike with an older eight-speed shifter and cassette if you can save money that way.

Try and budget for a pair of cycling shoes that can take cleats. Clipless pedals give you a huge advantage, even more so on the road than off. I recommend either Look or the NZ-designed Keywin pedal systems; consider flogging or throwing away your pedals and buying new ones if the bike you find comes with SPDs.

Once you're on your bike, take the tyres off and throw them away, and put Continental GP4000s (or another tyre of similar quality and focus - Michelin make good road bike tyres too) on.

Then go and find a good saddle. Selle Italia and Fizik are the brands you should look at. The Fizik Arione seems to be almost universally well-regarded these days.

Trust me, if you can manage to stretch your budget over time and attend to such bits and pieces, it'll be the difference between loving your road bike and hating it.

Last thing - you'll need proper cycling shorts.
$600 will be hard to find, especially with the VFR keen to take whatever I have, chew it up and spit it out and demand more.

I knew they were going to be pricey since a lot of technology goes into them (I've heard of mountain bike tech going into MX). Since I've left school but I'm still at home hopefully I'll make a bit of cash next year to buy a bike despite the VFR.

A lot of that sounds like gibberish to me (exaggerating a bit) but I'll research into everything more.

Cycling pants were the real reason why I wanted to get one of course

[MisterD]

I reckon if I can get my confidence up on the mountain bike, cornering on the motorbike should seem safe and easy.

It's deffo the best way to get used to the feeling of wheels sliding around under you...and by far the best place to get all of your falling off out of the way.

[madbikeboy]

Depends on the motor, doesn't it...I average about 27kph on my own, 30-35 in a bunch and max out at about 65 on the flat (sprinting)

Before the last knee reconstruction, I could hit 72 kph on the flat, but I once managed 103 downhill behind a SUV. I have witnesses! Been cycling and riding motorcycles since I was really little, have 12 bikes, 2 motorcycles - the car was a grudge purchase.

[quickbuck]

A lot of great road bikes with very little wear tend to pop up on TardMe. Keep your eyes open and you'll easily find one to suit you. Feel free to PM me for comments on anything you're looking at.

If you can stretch your budget from $300 to $600 or so, you'll have a lot more luck. It'll take a while to find something decent at the $300 price point. You have to be realistic about the fact that you're not buying shit from the Warehouse - the engineering and materials that go into bicycle frames and drivetrains is up there with what you'll find on a modern high-performance motorcycle. The starting price for the kind of bike that'd suit you, retail, would be around $1,500.

Go to a bike shop first, though, and get measured for the frame size for each manufacturer you're considering. Riding on the wrong frame size will fuck you right from the start and there's little you can do to mitigate it.

Look for Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Chorus running gear and an aluminium alloy or steel frame, as well as standard two-ring 53/39 front gearing (triple cranks simply don't work well). Eight/nine/ten speed won't matter to you at this stage - buy a bike with an older eight-speed shifter and cassette if you can save money that way.

Try and budget for a pair of cycling shoes that can take cleats. Clipless pedals give you a huge advantage, even more so on the road than off. I recommend either Look or the NZ-designed Keywin pedal systems; consider flogging or throwing away your pedals and buying new ones if the bike you find comes with SPDs.

Once you're on your bike, take the tyres off and throw them away, and put Continental GP4000s (or another tyre of similar quality and focus - Michelin make good road bike tyres too) on.

Then go and find a good saddle. Selle Italia and Fizik are the brands you should look at. The Fizik Arione seems to be almost universally well-regarded these days.

Trust me, if you can manage to stretch your budget over time and attend to such bits and pieces, it'll be the difference between loving your road bike and hating it.

Last thing - you'll need proper cycling shorts.

All good advise there, but I'd put the shorts at the top of the list! Seriously.

Just a couple of points
Shimano pedals are worth a look too, though.

Agree Shimano 105 or better. Ultegra is better again, then there is the Durace (if you really want to shell out money).

Two ring crank set YES! If it has a compact (36/50) on it, don't worry. You will most likely find the little sprocket is an 11 tooth. If a "ten speed" This gives a 122 inch gear! Very tall!
Note: 10 speed these days means 10 sprockets on the cluster! So, in theory 20 speed. In practice 18, but we need not go there.

[quickbuck]

MisterD did Taupo in 5hrs 33mins and is over the moon for the lads, Brian. :niceone:

Nice work. I did 5:45... with an air retention issue in my tyre a couple of times.

While you are checking out the results, have a look at Aaron Slight from Marsterton.
I know he is fit, but bloody hell, he beat Bevin Docherty's time!

[slopster]

Before the last knee reconstruction, I could hit 72 kph on the flat, .

I'm calling BS on that one. Only the best sprinters in the world could do that and only on a velodrome. 103kmh drafting a suv downhill is quite realistic though.

[McJim]

I prefer Campagnolo...but then I prefer Ducati....and Chianti....and spaghetti.

I haven't ridden a bike properly since June 2003 (London to Brighton). Have entered in the Motutapu down this end of the country in March. Need to lose 30kgs to get back to race weight.

Cycling is good for you. With cycling you really do get what you pay for. Trick bits of Titanium, carbon fibre, CNC machined bits etc. Fucken expensive and then you have to supply the horsepower yourself.

Very satisfying. Good luck.

[jrandom]

I'm calling BS on that one.

Thank you.

I didn't want to make a fuss, but... yes.

For someone at the 'casual rider' level, sprinting to 55 on the flat, alone, and holding it for a few hundred metres is doing very well.

[quickbuck]

Oh, and as for the motorcycling has stuffed my cycling thing:
Well, personally I must say, I actually use a lot of motorcycling techniques in my cycling. Including counter steering.
The inputs are obviously no where near as big, but check out the photo.

[Mr Skid]

With cycling you really do get what you pay for. Trick bits of TitaniumYes, I couldn't agree more.

[madmal64]

Go get yourself one of these (http://www.bossbi.com/bike/aprilia/enjoy.php):eek:
I got one a few months back and Im having a blast on it!
I get about on it most weeks and now the weather is getting better Im using it instead of the car or motorcycle to go to the shops or hacking around local as its a shit load quicker to get out and about on and a good laugh too

[Coyote]

Go get yourself one of these (http://www.bossbi.com/bike/aprilia/enjoy.php):eek:
I got one a few months back and Im having a blast on it!
I get about on it most weeks and now the weather is getting better Im using it instead of the car or motorcycle to go to the shops or hacking around local as its a shit load quicker to get out and about on and a good laugh too
I saw one at Motorad a whle ago. Looked like a bit of fun. How heavy are they?

[madmal64]

Bloody heavy for a pushie!
29kgs! Still once its rolling thats not a problem

[gijoe1313]

Funny how you guys started talking about pushies, I just got back from riding my MTB just now! :sweatdrop I'm knackered! Just went to the servo to pump the tires up, rode around the block a couple of times and I'm drenched in sweat! :pinch:

Blardy unfit I be, well as part of a stupid challenge with zeocen, we're doing a 12 week punish yourself course! :doh:

Had fun, leaping over curbs, riding across grass, wheezing uphill and watching a road bike lap me in the opposite direction! :pinch:

now for the press-ups and sit-ups :doh:

[homer]

So I dropped off the cage at the panel beater this morning to get some rust fixed. I'd been a clever bastard and brought my push bike along thinking that it would be a pleasant way to get to the university... it's less than 10 kms and it's flat. All good.

Think again!

I haven't been on the pushbike for just about half a year and in the mean time I've taken up motorcycling and have done about 4,000 kms on the ZXR over the last two and a half months.
I don't think I've ever tried anything quite as awkward as getting back on my pushbike. I used to bike a lot and were both confident and comfortable on the thing. But not today - I felt an utter lack of stability and braking power. While I overtook other cyclists I still felt as if I was effectively sitting still...
Am not looking forward to getting back on it to pick up the car on thursday! And I'm sure going to take the bus home today.


Hi ya
yeah i know exactly what you mean .
to unfit now as well
last time i rode the pushy was to get across town to go on the piss
Near had a heart attack .

good by to them days
have to catch up a
not on a pushy

[bungbung]

Two ring crank set YES! If it has a compact (36/50) on it, don't worry.


What is the problem with triples? (aside from the chain angle on the small-small and the big-big gears, which overlap with the middle ring anyway)

[MisterD]

I'm calling BS on that one. Only the best sprinters in the world could do that and only on a velodrome. 103kmh drafting a suv downhill is quite realistic though.

Actually, I think you'll find that velodrome speeds are less than the peak sprinting speeds the roadies achieve, because they're not drafting in bunches. 75kph+ would be a typical final burst from someone like Robbie McEwan.

Trackies will sustain higher averages though, the world Kilometer record is around 1 minute from a standing start!

[Angusdog]

I love my MTB. If the opportunity arises, and it does a couple of times a week minimum, I commute on the MTB and ride home the long way - from the CBD to Highbury, Sanctuary fence to the Windmill and round to Wrights Hill and down to the Scout Hall. If you're a Wgtn MTBer, that all should sound familiar. It's a 90 minute workout, ad the best therapy for anything, especially on a nice day when you can see the Rimutakas, the South Island and all over the city.

If you haven't been on a bike for years, it will take a few rides to get back into it, but it is well worth it. I'm lucky enough to live in Karori so five minute's ride from Makara Peak MTB park - kilometres and kilometres of single track goodness, with loads more around.

[vifferman]

A girl waiting outside Onehunga Highschool looked very concerned that I might expire.
She was probably eyeing up your meagre posessions with a view to flogging them off for lollies/drugs, and anxious that you might not expire.

Or mebbe it was your carbon she was after: "Someday you will die somehow, and something's gonna steal your carbon..."

[Finn]

Push bikes are for fags.

Last Saturday, I went for a quick ride in the morning down South. After enduring 5 - 6 bouts of pointless roadworks, I stumbled upon and endless stream of fag Armstrong wannabies competing in a fag cycle race. I slowed down a bit but still got the old fag wave to slow down even further which I refused to do. Came around one corner and there was a fag lying on the ground crying for his mummy. There were no cars involved so I presumed one of his fag mates gave him the nudge. One down, 300 to go I thought.

My point is this: If you want to get fit, do it in your own time in a fag gym like Les Mills. The roads are cluttered enough without a bunch of wax fagged pansies blocking it.

[90s]

I disagree; I think the key with road bikes is that they are ultra sensitive to setup. A millimetre here or there in bar and seat height and rotation makes the difference between agony and comfort over hours in the saddle. Once you find the perfect fit for you (and it's a very personal thing) a road bike just becomes an extension of your body.

And, yes, Coyote - get a proper road bike if you can afford one. Point to point on the road, you will average something around one and a half times the speed that you can do on an MTB, and there's nothing quite like standing up on a hillclimb on the road and blasting past MTBs at 20kph when they're having trouble maintaining 10.

(Yes, I'm a wanker.)

What's your budget likely to be?

My Cu framed giant mountain bike with 1" specialized fat boys on kills road bikes in the big hills - and the XT triple ring (44 front, cassette with bail-out 34 teeth) and loses out suprisingly little on the flat.
Having said that I am getting used to a small-cassette dual chainring on my roadbike (sadly only sora level) doing Scenic drive every weekend. When it comes to the flats its 52 teeth and lighter weight really give it the edge.
For cummuting its a bit of a toss-up between the 2 really - bit more comfort and control (+ disc brakes) on the mtn vs the faster cruising of the road.

There is an interesting debate here as every so often there are cycling threads about - the "dorky helmet" one went that way for example.

I truly believe that to be the best 'driver' you can and really understand the road you need to see it from a car, motorbike and cycle. I have spent years commuting through London and Auckland on cycles and motorbikes and learnt a lot on each.

And you really understand the mentality of cagers when you get things thrown at you on a cycle - thanks to the car load of surfers who threw a can of tui at me last weekend on Scenic drive.

[MisterD]

Push bikes are for fags.

My point is this: If you want to get fit, do it in your own time in a fag gym like Les Mills. The roads are cluttered enough without a bunch of wax fagged pansies blocking it.



Who's that clip-clopping on my bridge?

:laugh: + ten whotsits

[MisterD]

thanks to the car load of surfers who threw a can of tui at me last weekend on Scenic drive.

Well you wouldn't want to drink that stuff...

[vifferman]

thanks to the car load of surfers who threw a can of tui at me last weekend on Scenic drive.
Didja catch it and wave "thank you" to them for the thoughtful, refreshing drink? :spudwhat:

[jrandom]

And you really understand the mentality of cagers when you get things thrown at you on a cycle - thanks to the car load of surfers who threw a can of tui at me last weekend on Scenic drive.

Yeah!

I had a sandwich, of all things, thrown at me once on SH16. Car slows down, half-eaten ham and salad roll is flung, car speeds up and drives off.

Bounced off my arm and rolled into the ditch. I was very befuddled. Maybe they thought I looked hungry?

:confused:

[90s]

$600 will be hard to find, especially with the VFR keen to take whatever I have, chew it up and spit it out and demand more.

I knew they were going to be pricey since a lot of technology goes into them (I've heard of mountain bike tech going into MX). Since I've left school but I'm still at home hopefully I'll make a bit of cash next year to buy a bike despite the VFR.

A lot of that sounds like gibberish to me (exaggerating a bit) but I'll research into everything more.

Cycling pants were the real reason why I wanted to get one of course

A few months ago I got a mint hardly riden raceline (not a famous brand but a good brand) sora 8-speed roadbike for $300, inc. cateye computer and look pedals and cleats. There was plently of choice if you look on TM over a few weeks. Also consider 'hybrids' such as specialized cirrus (TM $200 http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sports/Cycling/Road-bikes/auction-129737628.htm) - these are comfortable bikes that don't give much away to road bikes in terms of speed, although racing is out because of the upright position. Basically you get roadbike 700c wheels and tyres and chainrings on MTB shifting and controls.

Just to reinforce what has been said about set up. Many 'down to the shops' cyclists bikes are set up completely wrong. You need to have your leg extended so that your foot is not flat - of course on the correct sized frame. This may mean you cannot reach the ground when you are on the bike without 'coming off' it. Get used to it. If the bars feel to close or too far away change the stem - can be cheap to do this. Move the brakes and levers so they are where your arms fall.

If you feel uncomfortable on your bike then set it up properly.

And again, I think that your skills are cross-transferable and add to each other. When you have been off a cycle for months and jump back on it does feel wierd - but that lasts about 20 minutes.

[90s]

I'm calling BS on that one. Only the best sprinters in the world could do that and only on a velodrome. 103kmh drafting a suv downhill is quite realistic though.

No, that's fairly easy. TdF sprinters do 75kph over several ks in the open. Any fairly fit cyclist on a 52-53 tooth bike can hit 60k over a short stretch and hitting 70k+ for a short burst is possible. Wind on your side etc.

Look up velodrome speeds as I have posted on other threads and you will be breathtaken at what speeds are possible on bikes set up for actual 'top speed in perfect conditions'. It is far in excess of what you imagine.

>edit> actually thought I would post them here again as they are so interesting!
130.36 km/h record for a bike on a flat without drafting (ie. following a car), 244.9kph (with drafting) or the downhill record (on ice) of 210.3kph official or unofficial record of 364 km/h
Indurain on his standard bike with no towing but with drafting was just shy of 160kph remember, behind a train.

Pretty impressive heh? You can write off that guy who 'achieves' 200kph+ on a trainer and is widely claimed to be the fastest cyclist.

[jrandom]

What is the problem with triples? (aside from the chain angle on the small-small and the big-big gears, which overlap with the middle ring anyway)

Shifting's less precise. A double crank shifts easy, fast and reliably; a triple requires more finesse on the lever and often doesn't quite latch in so well. It's just a less robust design on the whole. I rode a Trek with a triple for a year before giving up in disgust and moving to 53/39, and I'll never look back.

I'm not a fan of compact cranks, either - if you need the gearing, just get a cassette with a 27t at the back instead of a 23 or 25.

[MisterD]

I'm not a fan of compact cranks, either - if you need the gearing, just get a cassette with a 27t at the back instead of a 23 or 25.

I'm going to go compact, 50-34 plus 11-23...gives a slightly wider spread and better spacing between the ratios and it's lighter. Big rings back on for the crits..

[bungbung]

I went from a cannondale with 8spd 105 to a 9spd/triple 105 set up on a kona.
I don't have any difficulty with shifting on either bike. Mtbs have had triples forever, and as long as they're set up properly there shouldn't be a problem.

[jrandom]

Mtbs have had triples forever, and as long as they're set up properly there shouldn't be a problem.

Maybe it was to do with the quality or otherwise of the Tiagra front shifters I had?

Either way, I figure there's a good reason no serious road racers use triples. Rotating mass in the drivetrain makes a big difference.

I borrowed a pair of AmClassic MAG300s for Le Race this year. OMG. I *heart* 1200gm wheelsets.

:D

[MisterD]

I went from a cannondale with 8spd 105 to a 9spd/triple 105 set up on a kona.
I don't have any difficulty with shifting on either bike. Mtbs have had triples forever, and as long as they're set up properly there shouldn't be a problem.

The main problem with triples is the width of the whole setup - leads to knee problems in long road-type rides

[fergie]

What A shame, this thread went for 41 interesting posts then some plonker had to spoil it.( ie #42) Its obvious that lots of motorcyclists are cyclists as well. each to his own etc.I do both, have raced(road and later mtb for 20 years) and had some great times. also have ridden motorbikes for twice as long and met some awesome people.long may it continue

[jrandom]

What A shame, this thread went for 41 interesting posts then some plonker had to spoil it.( ie #42)

That's Finn for you. Always spoiling and plonking.

[bungbung]

I figure there's a good reason no serious road racers use triples. Rotating mass in the drivetrain makes a big difference.

I borrowed a pair of AmClassic MAG300s for Le Race this year. OMG. I *heart* 1200gm wheelsets.

:D

I like that idea better than shifting performance. What MisterD said about width too. While my bike has triples, I don't use the granny at all.

While you soft northerners don't have much in the way of hills, I thought welli might require more gears.

btw 1200gr wheelset wow. I have the heaviest wheelset that looks like it should be light. Shimano R540. They seem quite strong, up and down kerbs ok etc. I've only done 2000k on them though.

[90s]

Either way, I figure there's a good reason no serious road racers use triples.

Some of the tour mountain specialists go in with triples these days - esp. for ventoux.

Having said that for my sora 8-spd double I thought about the triple route and instead got a 26 rear cassette. I'll fit it when I shag the current 22.
I got a complete new drivetrain - front rings + cassette + sram chain - for $60 from chainreaction. Price less than I could get a 52 ring for here. Needed to place a big order as recently snapped both my EA70 seatpost and titanium flite rails at Woodhill (been a bit of a disaster there recently) and have gone new flow flite + raceface XC post. $60 flat NZ postage fee to NZ from CR however much you buy, so it really pays of if you need some new bike kit.

[RC1]

but I once managed 103 downhill behind a SUV.

witnessed a friend get a warning from cops for doing 110kph down waikemete hill in west akld a few years ago, would not get a warning these days i suspect

[slopster]

No, that's fairly easy. TdF sprinters do 75kph over several ks in the open. Any fairly fit cyclist on a 52-53 tooth bike can hit 60k over a short stretch and hitting 70k+ for a short burst is possible. Wind on your side etc.

>edit> actually thought I would post them here again as they are so interesting!
130.36 km/h record for a bike on a flat without drafting (ie. following a car), 244.9kph (with drafting) or the downhill record (on ice) of 210.3kph official or unofficial record of 364 km/h
Indurain on his standard bike with no towing but with drafting was just shy of 160kph remember, behind a train.

Pretty impressive heh? You can write off that guy who 'achieves' 200kph+ on a trainer and is widely claimed to be the fastest cyclist.

Not many cyclists can hit 60kmh on the flat. I was hitting 55kmh on the flat when I was cycling seriously and I was a better sprinter then most. I did the round Taupo ride in 4h 16m. Those records you post are not for bicycles as we know them they are for human powered vehicles. That is the fully faired pedal powerered machines that you lie down on with your arse 2 inches off the ground and fully enclosed in a big aerodynamic bubble. All bets are off when your drafting a large vehicle after about 70kmh you don't really need to put any effort in but only need to keep spinning the pedals fast enough.

[Finn]

What A shame, this thread went for 41 interesting posts then some plonker had to spoil it.( ie #42) ...I do both, have raced(road and later mtb for 20 years)

Nice one Fagie, I have a name you know.

[jrandom]

I was hitting 55kmh on the flat when I was cycling seriously and I was a better sprinter then most.

Ditto.

Every so often I hear guys talk big about how they can sprint over 60, but I've never seen someone actually do it on the road.

Imagine being in a bunch, spinning along, heads down, at 40 - I've never ridden with anyone who could fair dinkum come through and drop a group like that with an additional 20kph of speed. That's Robbie McEwen territory.

[Edit: OK, maybe with 100m left to the line, a couple of guys I know (as distant acquaintances) could do that, but they were selected for the last Commonwealth Games. I tend not to believe Joe Average Cyclist's claims until I've met him and seen him ride.]

[MisterD]

Ditto.

Every so often I hear guys talk big about how they can sprint over 60, but I've never seen someone actually do it on the road.

Imagine being in a bunch, spinning along, heads down, at 40 - I've never ridden with anyone who could fair dinkum come through and drop a group like that with an additional 20kph of speed. That's Robbie McEwen territory.



The bunch I ride with has a "hot spot" sprint on our regular Saturday morning rides...we (fast) cruise down the bays in a pace line at 50 or so and wind up for a sprint at the Parnell baths overbridge. I usually see 60-65 on my speedo after that and I've never been within coo-ee of the winners...

IMO the difference between average and top class is not so much the speed attained, but how quickly you get there and how long you can hold it...after all none of the top sprinters would be any good without their lead-out guy. Our own Julian Dean being a good example of a top man in that deaprtment.

[jrandom]

The bunch I ride with has a "hot spot" sprint on our regular Saturday morning rides...we (fast) cruise down the bays in a pace line at 50 or so and wind up for a sprint at the Parnell baths overbridge. I usually see 60-65 on my speedo after that and I've never been within coo-ee of the winners...

True true. I was thinking of a lone rider coming past and making a break at 60 and holding it long enough to form a gap, rather than whether one can make one's speedo touch 60 or not.

Do you have an 11t on your cassette?


Our own Julian Dean being a good example of a top man in that deaprtment.

And a deserving national roadracing champion, if only because he's a much nicer gentleman in person than Gordon McCauley. ;)

[MisterD]

True true. I was thinking of a lone rider coming past and making a break at 60 and holding it long enough to form a gap, rather than whether one can make one's speedo touch 60 or not.

Well the established technique is to accelerate in the slipstream, then dodge to the far side of the road so nobody can grab your wheel



Do you have an 11t on your cassette?


Nope, 12-25 and I generally don't get into the 12...I can get my cadence up to 130 though

[Finn]

So, when you guys shave your legs, how far do you go up?

[jrandom]

So, when you guys shave your legs, how far do you go up?

Most of the way up, if your massage therapist needs to work on your quads and adductors, etc.

That's the main reason the cyclists and triathletes I know who shave do it. Their therapists simply refuse to burn their hands on hairy legs.

Personally, I've never shaved my legs.

[quickbuck]

I'm going to go compact, 50-34 plus 11-23...gives a slightly wider spread and better spacing between the ratios and it's lighter. Big rings back on for the crits..

Yep, that's the story.
As I said, 50 x 11 gives you over 122 inches of travel per rev. (122.5 to be exact).
Now, at 100 RPM, that is A lot! ie faster (taller) than 53 x 12.

[madbikeboy]

I'm calling BS on that one. Only the best sprinters in the world could do that and only on a velodrome. 103kmh drafting a suv downhill is quite realistic though.

Depends on the finish, with a decent lead out and a fast bunch and favourable wind... It's harder on the track, you've got a fixed gear, it's hard to push a tall gear and spin out. On the road you can shelter behind other riders, and the elites (A graders) will do the last lap of a crit at 60+, you only need to jump in the last 20 metres or so and it's the kick that gives you that top speed, you're not holding it. Wish I had the postioning of Zabel or the kick of Robbie McEwen... My Polar HRM measured top speed for that ride, and that was done at a crit. I didn't win btw.

Now I just coach instead. 7 percent body fat is now 17%.. I've lost inches off my legs. I used to laugh at all the old guys riding Pinarellos and Colnagos on Tamaki when I had my Cannondale Caad3, no legs and expensive bikes. The last laugh is on me, no legs and a bike room full of bikes.

103 was a giggle, that was down the back of Hatepe - an SUV passed, and I just jumped on. I had a holden commodore sitting in beside calling the speeds off. ZXRider also used to ride road bikes, we regularly saw 90 drafting each other down the back of scenic drive.

Hows this - SuperMario got clocked by the Italian police in 2002 behind a team car doing 112 on a training ride - I was riding a 55/11, wonder what he was on...

[Blair-SV]

So, when you guys shave your legs, how far do you go up?

All the way :)

[90s]

Not many cyclists can hit 60kmh on the flat. I was hitting 55kmh on the flat when I was cycling seriously and I was a better sprinter then most. I did the round Taupo ride in 4h 16m. Those records you post are not for bicycles as we know them they are for human powered vehicles. That is the fully faired pedal powerered machines that you lie down on with your arse 2 inches off the ground and fully enclosed in a big aerodynamic bubble. All bets are off when your drafting a large vehicle after about 70kmh you don't really need to put any effort in but only need to keep spinning the pedals fast enough.

None of the records I posted are for 'human powered vehicles' or even recumbants. They are all for standard triangle framed bikes, with or without drafting as explained, and with or without modified rings etc as outlined. Indurain drafting behind a train on a standard bike nearly hit 100mph - he was
just shy and started from a standing start.
People being towed drafting on standard bike with huge rings hit the crazy speeds.

For sprinting it depends the distance you are measuring. I am talking about peak speed maintained over 10m, not 100m.

Having said that at the moment on a gentle down gradient on scenic drive (outside Arataki) am spinning out and not exceeding 61kph :no:. Pretty sad eh?