Hello from Cardiff

[c.baker51]

Hello everyone..!!

Newbie here. I've decided i'm going to start commuting to work by bike - as I hate being stuck in traffic haha.

My commute is 11 miles each way, I've bought a Cannondale CAADX 105 for the journey, and took advantage of Aldi's recent bike event for all of my kit

Generally i'm loving it, I feel great for it..... I have had a couple of issues though:
- The puncture fairy seems to really like my tires - last week I had 1 on the way in, and then 1 on the way home ...... I'm going to ditch the 35c Sammy slicks, and replace with 32c Marathon Plus to see if that helps.

- My bike wasn't set up for me properly by the shop, meaning I was overstretching to the bars, and my seat was too high causing my hips to rock.......... This gave me a really bad back, almost put me off riding...... But since sorting the fitting out, my back is getting better.

Anyway - Speaks soon

 

[raleighnut]

 

[mjr]

I'm going to ditch the 35c Sammy slicks, and replace with 32c Marathon Plus to see if that helps.

A note of caution that that may be going from one extreme to another. Sammy slicks are Raceguard (level 4) and Marathon Plus is Smartguard (level 7) and you can find loads of forum posts accusing the Marathon Plus of feeling dead. The cheaper and softer Marathon uses Greenguard (level 5), while the expensive Supreme and One both use V-Guard (also level 5, but with a different tyre compound to the Sammy and Marathon) and I can't guess a tyre which uses level 6

 

[welsh dragon]

Hello and welcome

 

[Banjo]

Welcome to the forum.

No one wants a fairy visit on your commute. Marathon plus aren't the fastest tyres but reliability is everything on a commute.

Glad you got the bike fitting sorted.

Good Luck from a synapse rider in Barry.

 

[c.baker51]

Thanks guys, the m+'S are on now, and I must say they look up to the challenge.....

 

[Banjo]

Thanks guys, the m+'S are on now, and I must say they look up to the challenge.....

Were they a struggle to fit? Not sure if you have the Maddux wheels that came with my Synapse but they weren't easy rims to get tyres onto. same tyres on the mavic rims I now use go on without tyre levers .

 

[Mrs M]

 

[Osprey]

Hi and welcome

 

[c.baker51]

Were they a struggle to fit? Not sure if you have the Maddux wheels that came with my Synapse but they weren't easy rims to get tyres onto. same tyres on the mavic rims I now use go on without tyre levers .

My tech sheet that I got with the bike says:
- Wheelset: Maddux CX 2.1 Disc, 32-hole
- Rims: Formula, CX-20 front, CX-22 rear

I'm not going to lie..... I don't know what that means haha....... They were a bit of a squeeze getting on, definitely harder than the Sammy slicks.... But went on without any tools.