Got my first road bike

[HLaB]

I've heard this recommended before and wonder why bike manufacturers bother with them at all.

Is the plastic guard really intended to serve a purpose or is removal a pure cosmetic thing?

Its supposed to protect the spokes if the chain is poorly adjusted (ie chain continues past the low gear/ big sprocket into the wheel). My Bianchi never came with one nor did the replacement wheels on the Sirrus and Ridgeback and its never been a problem.

Nice bike btw Chris

 

[Chrisc]

Ha - you're not alone

I have had mine back to the workshop for a service and a gear check and am still fiddling with the front mechanism to find a happy medium when it shift S > L > S beautifully

At the moment its unpredictable - L > S occurs with a audible clunk and works every time, not so the other way

Mine's OK ish. I can live with it now and will fine tune it as I go. I just relieve the pressure on the pedals going onto the big ring and it pops up no problem. I lowered the front mech as close as poss to the teeth of the big ring. Big difference.

 

[B1LLY87]

I want one......

 

[Chrisc]

Bit the bullet and started from scratch with the front mech. Now shifting perfectly after a couple of hours learning what does what. Quick, quiet shifting both ways now.

 

[Chrisc]

Done 100 miles on the new 'un this week. What a lovely bike!

 

[TVC]

Nice one Chris, I do hope you've removed the dust caps from the valves by now.

 

[catalan chris]

....... even if the council in their wisdom, decided to grit last night?!? Why when they left us literally crawling on all fours this winter due to lack of grit do they use it all up when there's no danger of frost? Good grief.

wrt inappropriate gritting - this is another one of my recent 'victor meldrew' issues that my poor long suffering wife has to listen to.

The other weekend eveing the gritters were doing the A38 north of Bristol (when all the forecast were saying it wouldn't go lower than plus 5).
Not just the waste of salt/grit but the overtime being paid to the council worker - 'I don't believe it' ..as Victor would say.

Anyway - lovely bike - need to matching outfit to wear on it now

 

[Chrisc]

Nice one Chris, I do hope you've removed the dust caps from the valves by now.

Does this make me a newbie then? I was going put some of those dice shaped caps on... I'll go and bin them now....(hangs head in shame...)
I assume it's a rotational weight issue?

wrt inappropriate gritting - this is another one of my recent 'victor meldrew' issues that my poor long suffering wife has to listen to.

The other weekend eveing the gritters were doing the A38 north of Bristol (when all the forecast were saying it wouldn't go lower than plus 5).
Not just the waste of salt/grit but the overtime being paid to the council worker - 'I don't believe it' ..as Victor would say.

Anyway - lovely bike - need to matching outfit to wear on it now

Well with snow forecast again this week (I'm on holiday, it was inevitable) I bet they run out. I don't believe it either!
WRT togs, I am fully Lidl'd up... no celeste tho.

 

[bauldbairn]

That's one very smart bike Chrisc.

 

[Globalti]

Do get that saddle sorted though, it needs to be nose up by a few degrees so that your weight is shared between your bum bones and the soft bit between your legs.

 

[Chrisc]

Do get that saddle sorted though, it needs to be nose up by a few degrees so that your weight is shared between your bum bones and the soft bit between your legs.

All done thanks! I do find this one puts a bit of pressure on the soft bits that my brooks doesn't but it's not too bad as I'm not sitting down as heavily on this bike if that makes sense? The other is a real sit up bike do all the weight is on my seat.

 

[hotmetal]

Nice one Chris, I do hope you've removed the dust caps from the valves by now.

Yeah, what is that all about? I've noticed that a lot of people seem to take their dust caps off. My (2nd hand) bike came without any too, and as it's all posh with Campag wheels etc, and well-maintained, I decided the guy must have taken them off on purpose rather than just been a bit slack.

How 'serious' do you have to be to gain any benefit from the removal of a couple of grams of plastic? Or is it like being circumcised - a kind of membership badge.

Actually, maybe we should all get the snip too - that might save another couple of grams?!

 

[dodgy]

I'd be asking what benefit we gain by leaving them on than asking what benefit there is take them off. They serve no purpose, definitely not on presta valves anyway.

 

[hotmetal]

I'd be asking what benefit we gain by leaving them on than asking what benefit there is take them off. They serve no purpose, definitely not on presta valves anyway.

Well, I suppose there is that, but surely the name is a giveaway, and I can only assume Mr. Presta ( thought it would be a good idea. Certainly as part of my Institute of Advanced Motorists training they impressed upon us the need to ensure that the dust caps were in place, and gave some figure for how much longer a tyre would stay at pressure for if the cap was in place. That said, that is obviously for Schrader type valves, maybe you're right, it's less important with Prestas.

 

[Banjo]

If nothing else they will keep the threads clean so mine are staying thanks.