What a difference a bike makes!

[PJ79LIZARD]

Been comutting on my mtb with wide knobbly tyres for nearly two weeks, decided to pull my finger out and swap the lights back onto my normal road bike comutter.

What a difference, the main roads have been fine it was just the side roads which had been icey over the last couple of weeks . But now Its warmed up I thought right back on the roadie.

Id forgotten how much quicker she was. Absolutely flew in this morning. It's amazing how much of different feel there is between the two machines.

But I think the temps have got to plummet next week so if there's more snow the mtb will be called back up for duty lol

 

[fossyant]

I cracked out the fixed road bike...oh how much better..... ? Might be back to one side though next week, as you say, forecasts looking icy.

Raods are horrible, black goo everywhere.....good job the road bike has guards...

 

[Theseus]

Likewise, went back to the road fixed today, but it has had to go in for repairs.

Hit a pothole on the way in and from then on whenever I used the front brake there was a regular judder. Had a look at the rim and there was a ding at one point. Which considering the tyres were up to pressure (120psi) was a bit of a surprise.

Later on the non-drive pedal started to feel loose. This quickly escalated to the crank arm falling off. This uses ISIS drive and the crank bolt has gone. The rest of the trip was done with one pedal. Which was fun going downhill when fixed. Fortunately there were no more uphills as these would have been a challenge.

Took it into the nearest LBS to get a new bolt and have the crank refitted. While there the chap had a look at the rim. It appears the crank coming off could have saved me from a worse fate. The reason the rim had a ding was more to do with the paper thin wall than any impact. Now waiting for a new set of wheels and glad there were no failures at speed.

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

Sounds like you had a bit of a nightmare! Well at least you haven't injured yourself and the bikes repairable. I'm constantly checking my crank bolts and chainring bolts, I lost a chain ring bolt this year. So now I'm always tightening them up. I've learnt from my mistake lol

 

[fossyant]

Touche, that's how my CXP33 rear went just after last winter - worn rim, hit a bit pot hole, and bent the rim. Just took it in for a rebuild.

That stuff on the roads is like concrete - should see the bike now. A good scrub it needs.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I also changed from MTB with knobblies back to the fixed today, sooooooo much better. Also changed the mtb to slicks but the thaw brings lots of water and I have full guards on the fixed.

 

[fossyant]

Had a nice tail wind home, so ended up putting in a seriously quick ride home (or it felt like it after nearly 3 weeks on the MTB)........

Nearly took the front end off a BMW pulling out of a pub car park between a traffic queue - I was motoring down the outside of a queue (very wide road) and car just jumped out from the car park between traffic.

Fortunately I'd seen/expected this and slammed on, locked the back up and had already unclipped my left foot before I stopped - 2 x Hope 1's on High (level 3) in the drivers face - he was a bit shocked........... sheepishly waved 'thanks' and was off...... ah well.

 

[johnr]

Just fitted 38mm snow spikes to my Tricross. If this weather continues I'm expecting to have thighs like Chris Hoy by the end of the winter.

 

[BlackPanther]

Been comutting on my mtb with wide knobbly tyres for nearly two weeks, decided to pull my finger out and swap the lights back onto my normal road bike comutter.

till,

I envy you. My hybrids awaiting new sprockets so this week I'm on my uber heavy, wide tyred, low spec, hard seated, low geared, slow MTB. Still, a bikes a bike, but how I miss my baby. Especially on the uphills.

 

[fossyant]

till,

I envy you. My hybrids awaiting new sprockets so this week I'm on my uber heavy, wide tyred, low spec, hard seated, low geared, slow MTB. Still, a bikes a bike, but how I miss my baby. Especially on the uphills.

Tell yourself............. it's good training....go on..go on.............

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

I have been quicker this week on the road bike, so I think there was some extra benefit from riding the tank for a couple of weeks. Even if my legs weren't saying that at the end of each week I was on it lol