Old crap bike, longer distances - what could go wrong?

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wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
So, as probably every poor sod on CC knows by now I'm soon moving away from a fantastic city where pretty much every trip is done by bike (shopping, commuting, social when our dear leader allows) to a grotty rural backwater where everything's sodding miles away.

In the city my longest utility journey is typically 10 miles there and back on urban roads and cycle / tow paths, with decent supermarkets being a sub-2-mile round trip. Once back in the village the nearest supermarket will be a 12 mile round trip on fast, horrible A-roads and 18 miles on more tolerable rural backroads.

In the city my Raleigh Routier has done me proud as the perfect utility hack - useable but a little tatty and practically worthless. It's rarely let me down but I'm a bit dubious of using it for longer, more isolated trips in future. I'd usually cover these sorts of routes on my CdF, but I'm not going to leave that locked up outside the supermarket..

So, we have 10 relatively high gears, crap brakes, non-QR wheels and fairly fat tyres that make getting the rear off in the event of a puncture a bit of a swine. I guess no show stoppers really (providing I can get up some of the hills with the gearing) but I'm still hesitant - what else should I be looking at to improve / address to set my mind at rest?
 
Location
España
So, as probably every poor sod on CC knows by now I'm soon moving away from a fantastic city where pretty much every trip is done by bike (shopping, commuting, social when our dear leader allows) to a grotty rural backwater where everything's sodding miles away.

In the city my longest utility journey is typically 10 miles there and back on urban roads and cycle / tow paths, with decent supermarkets being a sub-2-mile round trip. Once back in the village the nearest supermarket will be a 12 mile round trip on fast, horrible A-roads and 18 miles on more tolerable rural backroads.

In the city my Raleigh Routier has done me proud as the perfect utility hack - useable but a little tatty and practically worthless. It's rarely let me down but I'm a bit dubious of using it for longer, more isolated trips in future. I'd usually cover these sorts of routes on my CdF, but I'm not going to leave that locked up outside the supermarket..

So, we have 10 relatively high gears, crap brakes, non-QR wheels and fairly fat tyres that make getting the rear off in the event of a puncture a bit of a swine. I guess no show stoppers really (providing I can get up some of the hills with the gearing) but I'm still hesitant - what else should I be looking at to improve / address to set my mind at rest?
Puncture resistant tyres?
Tyre liners?
A friend with a car with a big boot on speed-dial?^_^
 

simongt

Guru
Location
Norwich
Punctures - ? The GLW and I have Marathons on four of our regularily used bikes and last week I experienced the third puncture in five years. Nuff said - ! ^_^
 
So, as probably every poor sod on CC knows by now I'm soon moving away from a fantastic city where pretty much every trip is done by bike (shopping, commuting, social when our dear leader allows) to a grotty rural backwater where everything's sodding miles away.

In the city my longest utility journey is typically 10 miles there and back on urban roads and cycle / tow paths, with decent supermarkets being a sub-2-mile round trip. Once back in the village the nearest supermarket will be a 12 mile round trip on fast, horrible A-roads and 18 miles on more tolerable rural backroads.

In the city my Raleigh Routier has done me proud as the perfect utility hack - useable but a little tatty and practically worthless. It's rarely let me down but I'm a bit dubious of using it for longer, more isolated trips in future. I'd usually cover these sorts of routes on my CdF, but I'm not going to leave that locked up outside the supermarket..

So, we have 10 relatively high gears, crap brakes, non-QR wheels and fairly fat tyres that make getting the rear off in the event of a puncture a bit of a swine. I guess no show stoppers really (providing I can get up some of the hills with the gearing) but I'm still hesitant - what else should I be looking at to improve / address to set my mind at rest?
I don't understand why you're moving back to live with your parents? Why won't you just rent a studio in the city you want to continue living in? Or get a flat share?
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
I don't understand why you're moving back to live with your parents? Why won't you just rent a studio in the city you want to continue living in? Or get a flat share?
£££££££££££££££ is my guess
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
You could always try this:

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raleighnut

Legendary Member
Fit a triple.:bicycle:
 
OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Thanks guys :smile:

Puncture resistant tyres?
Tyre liners?
A friend with a car with a big boot on speed-dial?^_^
Punctures - ? The GLW and I have Marathons on four of our regularily used bikes and last week I experienced the third puncture in five years. Nuff said - ! ^_^
It's currently sporting el-cheapo Decathlon gravel tyres, which to their credit have been absolutely faultless and puncture-free over the 600ish miles they've covered so far. I've generally been very lucky with punctures (famous last words!) - 1800 miles on the road bike with zero punctures and maybe 7-8 on the gravel bike in 2.5k miles but these have all resulted from riding off-road; either pinch punctures from rough / rocky ground or stabbings from thorns.

I'm hoping that the 2-3mm of fairly dense block tread on the utilty hack will afford them a bit more protection and would rather not replace the tyres as I suspect one Marathon Plus would cost close to the value of the bike! I think from this perspective it's going to be a case of "suck it and see" with the usual repair kit supplemented by a 15mm spanner in the rucksack.. which conveniently leads me onto the subject of luggage, but that's probably a topic for another thread.

I don't understand why you're moving back to live with your parents? Why won't you just rent a studio in the city you want to continue living in? Or get a flat share?
£££££££££££££££ is my guess
Absolutely. The cheapest, grottiest studio flat is going to be £800pcm with close to the same again on top for living costs which would obliterate the entire proceeds of the minimum wage job I don't have. A box room in some shifty house share would be about £500; I have a low threshold for other people's bullshit and tbh refuse to line the pockets of the parasitic landlords who own these properties and whose greed and selfishess is one of the reasons I / many others can't afford to buy in the city.

On top of all that, as much as I love the city on paper there's not a lot going on to keep me here currently; the weather's massively curtailed my cycling and I'm not allowed to see any mates really by decree of our dear leader.

In any case I'd never qualify for a rental as I have no job, and I believe the scumbag lettings agencies "require" earnings of 36 times the monthly rent; meaning I'd only be eligible for that crappy £800 studio flat were I earning near-on £30k/yr.

At least if I'm at home I can save what money I do have and hopefully accumulate some more with appropriate work with a view towards buying somewhere eventually.

why the op is moving is of no consiquence. puncture resistant tyres, more hilll friendly gearing and keep it maintained , plenty of old bikes doing high mileage.
Not sure I'd get more hill-friendly gears (and in any case that'd probably blow the budget) although on the up-side I think the limited gearing and hills round here have gained me a bit more strength. I can crawl up the 10% one outside with what I have; just not so sure about some of the longer drags back home. I guess I'll find out!


You could always try this:

View attachment 559356
Is he hanging on? I've drafted many a bus as it happens - probably not the smartest of things but certainly makes for swift progress :tongue:

@wafter - the census people are recruiting. A possible temporary local solution for work? https://www.censusjobs.co.uk/
Thanks for the heads-up - I'll take a look :smile:

Fit a triple.:bicycle:
Sadly probably out on cost grounds again.
 

All uphill

Still rolling along
Location
Somerset
Thanks guys :smile:



It's currently sporting el-cheapo Decathlon gravel tyres, which to their credit have been absolutely faultless and puncture-free over the 600ish miles they've covered so far. I've generally been very lucky with punctures (famous last words!) - 1800 miles on the road bike with zero punctures and maybe 7-8 on the gravel bike in 2.5k miles but these have all resulted from riding off-road; either pinch punctures from rough / rocky ground or stabbings from thorns.

I'm hoping that the 2-3mm of fairly dense block tread on the utilty hack will afford them a bit more protection and would rather not replace the tyres as I suspect one Marathon Plus would cost close to the value of the bike! I think from this perspective it's going to be a case of "suck it and see" with the usual repair kit supplemented by a 15mm spanner in the rucksack.. which conveniently leads me onto the subject of luggage, but that's probably a topic for another thread.


Absolutely. The cheapest, grottiest studio flat is going to be £800pcm with close to the same again on top for living costs which would obliterate the entire proceeds of the minimum wage job I don't have. A box room in some shifty house share would be about £500; I have a low threshold for other people's bullshit and tbh refuse to line the pockets of the parasitic landlords who own these properties and whose greed and selfishess is one of the reasons I / many others can't afford to buy in the city.

On top of all that, as much as I love the city on paper there's not a lot going on to keep me here currently; the weather's massively curtailed my cycling and I'm not allowed to see any mates really by decree of our dear leader.

In any case I'd never qualify for a rental as I have no job, and I believe the scumbag lettings agencies "require" earnings of 36 times the monthly rent; meaning I'd only be eligible for that crappy £800 studio flat were I earning near-on £30k/yr.

At least if I'm at home I can save what money I do have and hopefully accumulate some more with appropriate work with a view towards buying somewhere eventually.


Not sure I'd get more hill-friendly gears (and in any case that'd probably blow the budget) although on the up-side I think the limited gearing and hills round here have gained me a bit more strength. I can crawl up the 10% one outside with what I have; just not so sure about some of the longer drags back home. I guess I'll find out!



Is he hanging on? I've drafted many a bus as it happens - probably not the smartest of things but certainly makes for swift progress :tongue:


Thanks for the heads-up - I'll take a look :smile:


Sadly probably out on cost grounds again.
I have a couple of basic, square taped, heavyweight, but functional triples. You are welcome to one of them for the postage.
 
OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Hope you'll find a new job soon. Or you could always pick a completely new city to live in that is cheaper and start life all over again. Maybe being back at home won't be as bad as you think?
Thanks - certainly doesn't help that Oxford has (IIRC) the highest house price to earnings ratio in the entire UK :sad:

I had considered going elsewhere and tbh if I had the balls I'd emigrate to Utrecht in the Netherlands as I fully believe this country's sunk and am utterly sick of our overlords taking the piss out of the people they're tasked with serving to our faces; seemingly with impunity :rolleyes:

I have a couple of basic, square taped, heavyweight, but functional triples. You are welcome to one of them for the postage.
Thanks - that's extremely generous of you :smile:

I'd like to give the hills a crack on what I have currently but might come knocking if they prove too much!
 

All uphill

Still rolling along
Location
Somerset
Thanks - certainly doesn't help that Oxford has (IIRC) the highest house price to earnings ratio in the entire UK :sad:

I had considered going elsewhere and tbh if I had the balls I'd emigrate to Utrecht in the Netherlands as I fully believe this country's sunk and am utterly sick of our overlords taking the piss out of the people they're tasked with serving to our faces; seemingly with impunity :rolleyes:


Thanks - that's extremely generous of you :smile:

I'd like to give the hills a crack on what I have currently but might come knocking if they prove too much!
Anytime - they are not going anywhere.^_^
 
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