What is the biggest rip-off

[doctornige]

A cycle is something to get you from point A to Point B thats all it is

Heh. I use one to get from point A to point A, with variable distance and difficulty in between.

 

[totallyfixed]

This, as modelled by one of the Blues Brothers.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/assos-rssturmprinz-ultra-light-rain-jacket/
Can buy a fixed for that money.

 

[ColinJ]

This, as modelled by one of the Blues Brothers.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/assos-rssturmprinz-ultra-light-rain-jacket/
Can buy a fixed for that money.

I know people who swear by Assos!




(I'd rather swear at it! )

 

[doctornige]

I reckon most sports/energy drinks are way too expensive. I buy maltodextrin in bulk and make my own for about 35p a litre.

For isotonic, I just do this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/healthy_eating/features/newsid_2132000/2132209.stm

 

[Rahul Sapariya]

For isotonic, I just do this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/healthy_eating/features/newsid_2132000/2132209.stm

I find the powerade zero to be refreshing. I don't like the taste of water if I have to drink it over and over again for a long ride. Instead something that is just like water but with flavour. A dilute would be good as well. Maybe it is just me who doesn't like drinking water on its own but I prefer a bit of flavour. I wouldn't buy powerade zero though because it is expensive. Just buy a 2 litre bottle of vimto...lovely stuff.

 

[doctornige]

Rahul, the point here is that water contains no sugar. On the bike, you actually need a bit of sugar to get a quick energy boost. The added salt sets up the right osmotic gradient in your gut to transfer the sugar and water as fast as possible. As Pocari Sweat ads say, "Water is not enough."

 

[Rahul Sapariya]

Rahul, the point here is that water contains no sugar. On the bike, you actually need a bit of sugar to get a quick energy boost. The added salt sets up the right osmotic gradient in your gut to transfer the sugar and water as fast as possible. As Pocari Sweat ads say, "Water is not enough."

I remember when I did Lands End to John O'Groats a few months back and I lived off vimto because there water was rubbish. I know some people need energy packs and what not but from my own experience, I find that just having something tasty works. The evening before, just carbo-load yourself. I used 60 pot noodles for my trip (Bombay Badboys). I think I may be unhealthy haha.

 

[doctornige]

I remember when I did Lands End to John O'Groats a few months back and I lived off vimto because there water was rubbish. I know some people need energy packs and what not but from my own experience, I find that just having something tasty works. The evening before, just carbo-load yourself. I used 60 pot noodles for my trip (Bombay Badboys). I think I may be unhealthy haha.

My staple isotonic is the BBC recipe with Vimto. My little boy has it as his 'wine', so there is always a bottle in the house. I measured off the volume of my bottle into a jug, did the calculation based on the BBC advice and then scored the bottle (gently) with a kitchen knife at the cordial fill level, and ran over the groove with a Sharpie pen. Making the drinks is now a snap. I just pop in Vimto to the score line, fill to the neck with water, add a decent pinch of table salt, shake and stick it in the fridge ready to go..

 

[Rahul Sapariya]

My staple isotonic is the BBC recipe with Vimto. My little boy has it as his 'wine', so there is always a bottle in the house. I measured off the volume of my bottle into a jug, did the calculation based on the BBC advice and then scored the bottle (gently) with a kitchen knife at the cordial fill level, and ran over the groove with a Sharpie pen. Making the drinks is now a snap. I just pop in Vimto to the score line, fill to the neck with water, add a decent pinch of table salt, shake and stick it in the fridge ready to go..

Making the groove on the bottle is a brilliant idea. No idea why I didn't think of it. Everytime I make a dilute in a bottle, it always tastes different. Sometimes it's a good one, sometimes it's crap. Now I can get a good mix all the time. Thanks

 

[Pikey]

Biggest rip off - avid disc brakes.

Mine look nice on the old war horse, but I might as well just stick my fingers in the spokes to slow me going down hill.

Bled three times in three weeks too.

 

[Speedywheelsjeans]

Rahul, the point here is that water contains no sugar. On the bike, you actually need a bit of sugar to get a quick energy boost. The added salt sets up the right osmotic gradient in your gut to transfer the sugar and water as fast as possible. As Pocari Sweat ads say, "Water is not enough."

I use lucozade energy gels... I rip the top off, eat it then chug water. I find water more refreshing to sip at during rides, then every 45 minutes an energy gel restores what im losing,

 

[Rahul Sapariya]

I use lucozade energy gels... I rip the top off, eat it then chug water. I find water more refreshing to sip at during rides, then every 45 minutes an energy gel restores what im losing,

I can't do those gels, taste to weird for myself. I know you aren't really supposed to taste it but I always accidently do. Can't they make a chocolate flavoured one that actually tastes like a chocolate?

 

[col]

Those back covers for Ipods, the packaging must cost more than the actual cover to make.

 

[Norm]

Why did I know someone would say that? I was talking average car tyre prices, you can pay over £100 for a tub and for my 195 car tyres I pay about £60. The point I was making which I'm sure you know, was the amount of material used in both, yet prices especially for a small [ecological] car can be similar.

And, as I'm sure you know, the material costs are a small percentage of the total costs. R&D per £60 car tyre would be half of nothing (low investment, very high volumes), whereas the amount spent to make a difference on a £100 tub would be written off over a relatively very small number of units.

'Park tools' tools. Over priced and some of the stuff they have are rubbish. I find their spoke keys to be rubbish. I find using the m part pro spoke keys or equivalent to be much better. I may be biased because I generally hate pricey things and tools are just an extension of it but from my own experience as a bike mechanic, park tools do nothing special when you pay twice as much for the same tool.

The Park Tools that I have a lovely and worth the (few quid) extra over disposable stuff, IMO.

It's the same for all tools, though. I've some Snap-Ons which I got from an obsessive friend and I enjoy stuff on the cars breaking so I have an excuse to use them. I have a 15 year old Leatherman multi tool and, again, it was a bit more than the alternatives but it's travelled a gazillion miles, been used for a bazillion things and it still goes everywhere with me.

 

[Rahul Sapariya]

And, as I'm sure you know, the material costs are a small percentage of the total costs. R&D per £60 car tyre would be half of nothing (low investment, very high volumes), whereas the amount spent to make a difference on a £100 tub would be written off over a relatively very small number of units.


The Park Tools that I have a lovely and worth the (few quid) extra over disposable stuff, IMO.

It's the same for all tools, though. I've some Snap-Ons which I got from an obsessive friend and I enjoy stuff on the cars breaking so I have an excuse to use them. I have a 15 year old Leatherman multi tool and, again, it was a bit more than the alternatives but it's travelled a gazillion miles, been used for a bazillion things and it still goes everywhere with me.

There are some good things that park tools do but they aren't patented or anything so other companies just copy them, and sometimes the copies are better. The amount of park tools plastic tyre levers I've gone through is insane...that's how they make their money. Of course I use these tools day-in day-out so if it is for personal use, use whatever you find comfortable but for using for a bike shop, I'd find cheaper alternatives because the tools will break eventually. One thing that they do well is the chain splitter...the fact that you can unscrew the pin and replace it with a new one, brilliant idea because they will break at some point.