Cycling purchases - the good the bad the ugly

[Jameshow]

Tell us those purchases which have impressed and those which are a poor buy with reason if possible.

I'll start.

Mini stove and cooker off eBay.

Lidl panniers. Good strong construction.

Rc31 Ridley wheels 30mm depth yet sturdy enough for light touring 28h. Better than Shimano / Mavic for abusive durability tbh!

Poor Vango soul tent - pole splitting already must look for receipt.

 

[ColinJ]

Bad: Shimano cycling shoes - they tend to be 1.5 - 2.0 European sizes too small for my feet.

Good: Shimano cycling shoes - when ordered 1.5 - 2.0 European sizes bigger than I normally take, so that they fit my feet!

 

[Jameshow]

Bad: Shimano cycling shoes - they tend to be 1.5 - 2.0 European sizes too small for my feet.

Good: Shimano cycling shoes - when ordered 1.5 - 2.0 European sizes bigger than I normally take, so that they fit my feet!

What size are you?

I have several that are too big too small etc!

I'm looking for more casually styled spd so I don't look like a dodgy celeb walking round villages at night!🤣🤣🤣

 

[ColinJ]

What size are you?

I have several that are too big too small etc!

I would normally be around a 45** but Shimano 45s crushed my feet. I tried 46s and they squeezed my feet. My last pair are a 47 and they are comfortable. Maybe about 0.5 too big but I quite like having the extra toe room, and the width feels fine. I left those in Devon to save me carting them back and forwards every trip.

I'm looking for more casually styled spd so I don't look like a dodgy celeb walking round villages at night!🤣🤣🤣

Why are you walking around Yorkshire (or Devon?) villages at night in Shimano cycling shoes?

** In UK sizes normally around a 10, but more like 11-11.5 Shimano sizing.

 

[Jameshow]

I would normally be around a 45** but Shimano 45s crushed my feet. I tried 46s and they squeezed my feet. My last pair are a 47 and they are comfortable. Maybe about 0.5 too big but I quite like having the extra toe room, and the width feels fine. I left those in Devon to save me carting them back and forwards every trip.


Why are you walking around Yorkshire (or Devon?) villages at night in Shimano cycling shoes?

** In UK sizes normally around a 10, but more like 11-11.5 Shimano sizing.

Cause I travel light and didn't take another pair of shoes on tour!!

 

[ColinJ]

Cause I travel light and didn't take another pair of shoes on tour!!

I was doing that too but I walked a fair distance in another pair of SPD shoes and it caused the soles to come loose. I am going to glue them back on and try to get another few years use from them.

 

[Sharky]

Most cycling related purchases have been good, just a few didn't come up to expectations.
- one of those hiviz yellow cycling jackets from lidl. In practice, it was just too waterproof and was like wearing a boil in the bag jacket. But relegated to wear when gardening when cold and damp and it's ideal.
- a weight lifting bench. I'd bought myself a set of weights when I was 20, for training at home. Decided latet to add a bench as well. But when it arrived, without unpacking it, I realised that it was going to take up too much room in the house. So put it to one side, then it went into the loft, where it stayed for almost 40 years until a club mate was looking for one, so I gave it away!

 

[cyberknight]

tyre glider , doesnt work on traditional "narrow" width rim brakes as you cant get it under the tyre to lever it off and the gap is to narrow to sit on the rim when trying to put the tyre back on

 

[Once a Wheeler]

Two golden oldies that have stood the test of time and are still available today:
Tudor Sports York Plusses.

Carradice Classic Saddlebag Rack.

The rack will not fit a lot of modern saddles but it is well worth getting the saddle which will fit the rack if you are starting off on the adventure of touring.

 

[vickster]

Two golden oldies that have stood the test of time and are still available today:
Tudor Sports York Plusses.
View attachment 692155

Nora Batty’s cycling shorts

 

[Sharky]

Tudor Sports York Plusses.
View attachment 692155

I had a pair of those for ages, not from "Tudor", but from Lutz who I think we're an ancestor of Tudor.

 

[Emanresu]

See sense Icon 2 backlight.

Icon 1 uses rubber bands. Icon 3 uses garmin quarter turn. Both fine and stay on but the Icon 2 uses a rubbish clip which dislodges the light easily. There’s one lying around on the NWT in Co. Tyrone if you want one.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Knog bike lights with non replaceable rubber fixing straps. Expensive and useless once the strap has broken.

 

[tinywheels]

Knog bike lights with non replaceable rubber fixing straps. Expensive and useless once the strap has broken.

shoot,I just ordered a rear cobber.
nnnooooo

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Bad: Shimano cycling shoes - they tend to be 1.5 - 2.0 European sizes too small for my feet.

Shimano offer 5 different width lasts. Why just not order a model that has a wider last?