Fair play to you, mate.
Keep at it and keep working towards your goals of the rides next year.
£300 set budget for a new bike - suggestions?
- Thread starter infinityleague
- Start date
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Fair play to you, mate.
Keep at it and keep working towards your goals of the rides next year.
newts
Veteran
- Location
- Isca Dumnoniorum
Trek 2.1 mentioned upthread is good bike. I've got a 2014 model & it's well built, reliable, light & done all that I've asked of it in the last 8 years. Should be able to get one in very good condition for £300.
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
There's a good selection of decent second hand bikes available for under £250 just waiting to get ridden again or for the first time
Absolutely. I can only speak about the specialized allez elite, as it's the only road bike I've ever had. Very competent well-built bike. Plenty on eBay for less than 300.
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Yes, and? It's a solid budget hybrid with a fairly rugged frame, steel fork and 50mm tyres. It's designed to take years of commuting abuse with probably not much maintenance.
infinityleague
Regular
- Location
- London
Hello again. Hope everyone’s doing fine. Been a while…just an update.
Got a mountain bike past Friday for £258 on Halfords sale (think it’s now £288). Have also done the below distances.
Avg Power 124W.
Avg speed 15.6 kmph.
Total riding hours 17.
Total distance 258 kms.
Elevation gained 1900 m.
Any good on a mountain bike? Don’t have any sensors to give further info except the above were free on Strava.
I wanted to know if I can change the mountain bike tyres to road tyres to see if I can go any quicker than what I am right now? Does it need just the tyre change or the entire drive train / cassette change as well?
Hopefully if I can, I want to see how much extra training I need for the Dragon ride? Can only ride on the weekends.
Present configuration screenshot attached.
Any suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.
Got a mountain bike past Friday for £258 on Halfords sale (think it’s now £288). Have also done the below distances.
Avg Power 124W.
Avg speed 15.6 kmph.
Total riding hours 17.
Total distance 258 kms.
Elevation gained 1900 m.
Any good on a mountain bike? Don’t have any sensors to give further info except the above were free on Strava.
I wanted to know if I can change the mountain bike tyres to road tyres to see if I can go any quicker than what I am right now? Does it need just the tyre change or the entire drive train / cassette change as well?
Hopefully if I can, I want to see how much extra training I need for the Dragon ride? Can only ride on the weekends.
Present configuration screenshot attached.
Any suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
@infinityleague I would be happy to do that ride no matter what bike it was on so well done.
And I should think it would have been easier on less chunky tyres unless it was off road.
It goes to show it's not all about having an expensive bike.
And I should think it would have been easier on less chunky tyres unless it was off road.
It goes to show it's not all about having an expensive bike.
N0bodyOfTheGoat
Senior Member
- Location
- Hampshire, UK
Sounds like you are getting plenty of time on the bike, which should strengthen your endurance, which given time will help your body cope with doing hard rides like the Dragon Ride events.
I'm sure if you look around or get feedback here, you will find 27.5" options that work on the road. If the internal rim width of the wheels is ~25mm, you will need to look at tyres that are ~33mm+ wide. Wider options closer to the supplied 2.1" will give more comfort at the cost of some speed, as you get stronger and increase your average speed.
I've never had a 27.5" wheel bike, but a really quick look at the gravel tyre options at Merlin, suitable for tarmac and moderate offroad...
https://www.merlincycles.com/cyclocross-gravel-tyres-75333/?diameter=27-5-
Certainly a few years ago, G One Speeds were raved about for tarmac and dry hardpack offroad, I had a pair of 29x2.35" on my fatbike's 29er wheels and they were speedy... But mine wore down the very small knob tread within months of commuting and then began to be prone to punctures.
G One Allround were considered a decent mixed terrain tyre, reasonably quick on tarmac and reasonably adaptable to light-moderate offroad.
https://www.merlincycles.com/touring-hybrid-bike-tyres-75335/?diameter=27-5-
They're a bit heavy at 910g each for 2.4" slicks, partly because of the wire bead, but ~£18 each for those Super Moto looks interesting if the bike has ~8cm between the fork blades and between the chain/seat stays.
infinityleague
Regular
- Location
- London
Thanks. So, I will push myself a little harder & stronger on this bike and hope I can complete half the distance of 300 Kms come June.
All on proper roads in & around Basildon, Southend, Rainham, Laindon, High Easter, Good Easter, Wickfore, Dunham etcetera.
Hanningfield reservoir loop was the best ride & Hagg Hill was the toughest climb. Saturday and Sunday were extremely tough as in, more of a physical and mental rides than actual cycling trying (to balance myself and the bike) not to get blown off by the strong winds & headwind all along.
Was giggling a bit when being overtaken by riders (aged 70) on their slender road bikes but I wasn‘t competing with anyone but myself and the winds.
All on proper roads in & around Basildon, Southend, Rainham, Laindon, High Easter, Good Easter, Wickfore, Dunham etcetera.
Hanningfield reservoir loop was the best ride & Hagg Hill was the toughest climb. Saturday and Sunday were extremely tough as in, more of a physical and mental rides than actual cycling trying (to balance myself and the bike) not to get blown off by the strong winds & headwind all along.
Was giggling a bit when being overtaken by riders (aged 70) on their slender road bikes but I wasn‘t competing with anyone but myself and the winds.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Yes you can change the tyres. They just have to be the right size.
For the Dragon ride training a key stat will be elevation gained per km (or mile) ridden. 600m in 80km is pretty flat. The DR has over 3,000 in 215km, which would be a bit of a shock to the system
My personal rule of thumb for metres per 100km:
< 1,000 - flattish
1,500 hilly
2,000 tough
> 2,000 aargh
Others will have different calibration
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Great distances so soon, well done, and hope you're enjoying it, which is the whole point!
If you're intending on riding on road, just changing tyres to slicks will make a huge difference. Suggestions above are for gravel tyres, which are fine if you're intending to ride some offroad, but if it's almost all tarmac, I'd go for something slick personally.
Brandane
The Costa Clyde rain magnet.
I would suggest that if you can average over 15mph on a MTB then you have been pulling our plonkers all along in this thread re your fitness level.
Another observation is the seat height, or lack of it, for someone who mentioned that they are 5' 10" earlier in the thread. You're going to trash your knees going any distance like that. Rule of thumb is your leg should be almost straight while sitting on the saddle with heel on the pedal at the bottom of the stroke.
infinityleague
Regular
- Location
- London
Will look into these, thank you.
infinityleague
Regular
- Location
- London
Cycling is the easiest exercise I can do & I loved it before and still do. Will mostly be riding on tarmac & learn to climb hills on this bike in the hope that it can be easy when I change the wheels to road tyres.
Dogtrousers
Lefty tighty. Get it righty.
Not the best location for hill training!
If the Tilbury Gravesend ferry was still running you could escape to Kent for a bit of lumpiness. But it isn't
