Recent Posts

1

The Knowledge / Re: Brake options for Ergos

« Last post by Woofage on Today at 11:26:32 am »

Will the Mini V definitely clear the tyres?

I've measured and the 90mm Tektro ones will.

Mini Vs have really bad mud clearance compared to Cantis or full sized V brakes.

This is definitely a concern in case I do some comedy off-roading.

2

The Knowledge / Best place to sell a track bike?

« Last post by drgannet on Today at 11:22:25 am »

My daughter has asked me to sell her track bike which has sat unused in my garage for 5 years. Its a low-end aluminium frame Giant for which she paid £250 second hand when she was racing at Calshot. Any suggestions for the best online place to sell it or is it just eBay? Thanks.

3

The Knowledge / Re: Brake options for Ergos

« Last post by LittleWheelsandBig on Today at 11:19:55 am »

Good cantilevers work fine but some people find proper adjustment time consuming or confusing.
V-brakes with Travel Agents can be tricky/ time consuming to keep in good adjustment as the pads wear.
Mini-Vs are pretty simple to adjust but I use fixed position noodles, rather than flexible noodles, and have barrel adjusters on the noodles or elsewhere along the brake cables. Otherwise pad wear quickly bottoms out the brake levers. The limited tyre and mudguard clearance may be an issue.

Good pads (e.g. KoolStop Salmon) and compressionless brake cable housing are worthwhile. https://jagwire.com/products/housing/pro-compressionless-brake-housing

4

The Knowledge / Re: Brake options for Ergos

« Last post by DuncanM on Today at 11:14:40 am »

Will the Mini V definitely clear the tyres? This sounds quite a lot like an old school CX setup, and Mini Vs have really bad mud clearance compared to Cantis or full sized V brakes.
In terms of setup and power, Mini V are better (easier and more powerful) than cantis from my experience, I've not tried a travel-agent.

5

The Knowledge / Brake options for Ergos

« Last post by Woofage on Today at 11:10:13 am »

My general purpose runaround has flat bars, V brakes and 35mm (ish) tyres. I want to convert to drops as I've never really been totally happy with the flat bar setup. I already have some old shifters (Campag 10sp - I'll Shimergo the rear derailleur) and I want to do the conversion with minimum fuss and expense, ie no new disc brakes, wheels etc. That stuff can wait for later if I so wish.

As I see it, my brake options are:
1. Mini V
2. Standard V (as I currently have) with Travel Agents
3. Cantis

What experiences can the panel convey?

6

Audax / Re: 2023 Wessex SR

« Last post by Wycombewheeler on Today at 11:07:59 am »

I'll be back to ride The Dorset Coast as a perm, possibly at night as suggested by teethgrinder.

Not sure about this approach, descending roads with suspect surfaces in the dark is likely to increase number of pothole strikes, I'm happy to ride main roads at night when the lack of cars is a benefit. But most of the roads on the dorset coast are quiet lanes anyway.

Also the highlight of the Dorset coast for me is the exceptional scenery.

7

Ctrl-Alt-Del / Re: New 7" tablet recommendations please

« Last post by Morat on Today at 11:06:43 am »

Phones have caught up. A Google Pixel 8 pro has a 6.7" screen. Pricy, but probably the closest modern equivalen to a Nexus 7.

8

The Pub / Re: Fare dodging: have you ever done it and is it ever acceptable?

« Last post by Pedal Castro on Today at 11:05:45 am »

I can remember as a child (age 11) using a bus to get to school until I was given a bike for my birthday. Occasionally I would pick up a discarded ticket from the floor and fiddle with it, avoiding the gaze of the conductor when he came up to the top deck he (or she) never asked me to buy a ticket. Not sure how often I did this, maybe 3-4 times... I was a bit naughty then.

9

Food & Drink / Re: A random thread for food things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

« Last post by Feanor on Today at 10:59:22 am »

It only dawned on me later, the woman on the coupled Shand could well be your wife - If it'd dawned on me when we saw her a few times, I'd have said how much I loved your south american adventure !  Were you doing the 200 ?

Also, which cafe was that ?  We stopped in Aberlour (the gatherin')  and Lossiemouth at the harbour

Yes, that was her. The green Shand Stoater with S&S couplings.
Yes, I was on the 200.

The un-cafe was somewhere in Lossiemouth, but I don't know the name of it.

Hope you enjoyed the day out!

10

The Pub / Re: Fare dodging: have you ever done it and is it ever acceptable?

« Last post by orienteer on Today at 10:51:01 am »

Almost every time I use the underground from Uxbridge I see fare dodgers just forcing their way through the wider gates. I think the usual station staff are instructed not to try and apprehend them, but occasionally there are fare enforcement staff and/or British Transport police there.