is this any good?

[BigonaBianchi]

so that's a no then

 

[young Ed]

so that's a no then

hang on i had to go to bed last night and then i was out working all day today and i dont have no smartphone technology so i cant post on the go but i shall post know then i paid £75 for it hardly used on the evil bay and yeah like the one in the link i reckon i got quite a good bargain there! what do you lot reckon?
Cheers Ed

 

[Ticktockmy]

Well Ed, it will be a good starter bike, and for sure you will be able to ride 45 or even 60 miles in a day. Once you have ridden it few miles you might find you need to tune it up to suit yourself. All of us are different in how our body fits a bike, often it is the saddle that bugs peeps, as different bums need different saddles, after many years and different bikes I have found a saddle that fits, a charge spoon, looks like more like a charge knife..LOL but it feels so comfortable. Do spend time experimenting with and adjusting the parts that will make your ride a joy. Bars, saddle, length of crank if need be. all help to make a tour more enjoyable. One final tip, post any problems on here, lot of knowledge to be gleaned from peeps on here, lastly some of us on here can at time appear in writing to be grumpy old sods, and young ones as well, but most of us are willing to share our knowledge with you.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

i paid £75 for it hardly used on the evil bay and yeah like the one in the link i reckon i got quite a good bargain there! what do you lot reckon?
Cheers Ed

I think it's a reasonable price for the bike if it is in almost-new condition. As I said in the earlier post, it is a basic bike so don't expect too much from it, but it should be okay to start you off touring.

The changes I'd suggest are:
Tyres - The standard ones will be very cheap basic tyres which probably won't roll and grip that well and are unlikely to have much in the way of puncture protection. Schwalbe Marathon are excellent if you can afford them. Perhaps Schwalbe Road Cruiser or Continental TourRide as a cheaper alternative.

Saddle - The standard saddle on the bike will be excellent...... for about 5 miles, then as you sink into the padding it will be horrible. Have a look at alternative saddles with less padding. The Charge Spoon already mentioned is very popular (although in honesty I don't get on with mine) or you could try visiting your nearest Specialized dealer to get measured up on their "arsometer".

Bar Ends - After years of cycling I have only recently converted to bar ends and would absolutely recommend them for long rides with a flat bar bike. Just don't fit them sticking up in the air like on so many mountain bikes i've seen around.

There are other changes that could be made but these I think are the ones I think I'd start with.

 

[young Ed]

I think it's a reasonable price for the bike if it is in almost-new condition. As I said in the earlier post, it is a basic bike so don't expect too much from it, but it should be okay to start you off touring.

The changes I'd suggest are:
Tyres - The standard ones will be very cheap basic tyres which probably won't roll and grip that well and are unlikely to have much in the way of puncture protection. Schwalbe Marathon are excellent if you can afford them. Perhaps Schwalbe Road Cruiser or Continental TourRide as a cheaper alternative.

Saddle - The standard saddle on the bike will be excellent...... for about 5 miles, then as you sink into the padding it will be horrible. Have a look at alternative saddles with less padding. The Charge Spoon already mentioned is very popular (although in honesty I don't get on with mine) or you could try visiting your nearest Specialized dealer to get measured up on their "arsometer".

Bar Ends - After years of cycling I have only recently converted to bar ends and would absolutely recommend them for long rides with a flat bar bike. Just don't fit them sticking up in the air like on so many mountain bikes i've seen around.

There are other changes that could be made but these I think are the ones I think I'd start with.

thanks sounds great i shall see what i do but first im going to take it for a test ride as i havent been able to yet as i have been abroad for the last 2 days
how should bar ends be fitted and at what angle?
Cheers Ed

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

how should bar ends be fitted and at what angle?
Cheers Ed

These pics should hopefully give a good idea:



They clamp on to the end of the handlebars as shown. I had to cut the grips down so they would fit and also moved the shifters and brake levers inwards slightly.

Between the first and second photos being taken I angled them further downwards as that feels better. The exact angle will be personal preference.

The ones pictured were very cheap (£5 from Sports Direct) as I wasn't sure if I would like them. They will probably be replaced with better ones in due course.

I originally tried short bar ends on the knockabout bike and long ones as above on my main bike and personally prefer the long set for distance rides as it gives more choice of hand positions.

I hope this helps.

 

[young Ed]

cheers i got one or two things non cycle related i need to order and im saving up to build something pretty expensive but shall let my self off and order a cheap pair of bar ends soon probably
Cheers Ed