NEw bike before LEJOG - Stupid Idea

[martymcfarty]

Hello,

I have an entry level Dawes that I have been trying to replace for some time but not been able to afford (its heavy, slow just not an enjoyable ride at all). I have just come into some money that means I can now upgrade to a nice machine, however, I am supposed to be setting of on LEJOG on October 4th. The earliest I can get the bike I want is on Saturday 1st October...

Ergo... I wont get a chance to ride it before I go. Is it foolish to take a chance on a machine that is of undoubted quality, but that has not been riden on before???

Help!!!

 

[wintonbina]

As long as you get set up on the bike properly you should be ok.

Cos let's face it you are going to get a sore backside whichever bike you ride .
Just take the cream!

Good luck,

Tony

 

[superbadger]

As mentioned the 'set-up' is so important... And i think you answered your own Q by berating your current bike! . The very best of luck and i reckon you will be so impressed with the new one that the miles will tumble....

 

[Norm]

My concern would be that you don't get a chance at a shake-down ride, and you don't get the first tweaks sorted before leaving.

New bikes take a bit of bedding in and some problems may take a few miles to appear. The chances are that it will be fine but, IMO you'll need to take particular care of all "service items" (such as gears, hubs, brakes) and, at the very least, your cables will all probably need adjusting at 150-200 miles.

 

[goody]

Are you doing it alone? Is yourself or someone you are traveling with capable of adjusting the brakes/gears changing a tube (which are things you would probably need to do on whatever bike you used), I would guess so if not there are plenty of bike shops along the way. I'd just make sure the bike was comfortable and I knew I could sit on the saddle all day. Maybe even put your old saddle on the new bike if you have been using it for a while and are happy with it. I took the opportunity to get a charge spoon and spent a couple of weeks before my trip getting used to it. What bike are you getting? and good luck for the trip.

 

[willem]

I have done this too out of necessity, and did not regret it. After all, riding your new bike is so much fun. Be prepared for a few things, however. First check all nuts and bolts after the first day, and repeat this. Second, make sure you know all the peculiarities of the parts that may be unfamiliar to you. I had forgotten to figure out how to adjust the pads on my Magura HS 66 brakes, and found myself in bad weather in the Pennines, with rather a lot of wear on the pads. I only just made it home safely. Third, take all the tools you need to adjust your handlebar, saddle, and spd cleats. Give yourself some time to fiddle with them, and maybe plan on shorter rides for the first few days, in case you are using different muscles from before.

Enjoy,
Willem

 

[vernon]

I bought and rode a new bike in the middle of a tour 400 miles from the end. Furthermore it was a flat barred hybrid/tourer and the bike that I abandoned was a drop barred tourer. I adjusted the position of the bars and seat position to mimic the relative positions of the components on the drop barred bike as best as I could. I discarded the brand new seat and transferred the brooks B17 from the tourer.

I'm still touring on the hybrid/tourer with no ill effects.

 

[Mitz]

I bought and rode a new bike in the middle of a tour 400 miles from the end. Furthermore it was a flat barred hybrid/tourer and the bike that I abandoned was a drop barred tourer. I adjusted the position of the bars and seat position to mimic the relative positions of the components on the drop barred bike as best as I could. I discarded the brand new seat and transferred the brooks B17 from the tourer.

I'm still touring on the hybrid/tourer with no ill effects.

And I thank you for recommending that hybrid tourer, as I have been extremely happy with it since buying it