Author Topic: Hello from a newby/bike advice  (Read 3420 times)

Hello from a newby/bike advice
« on: 11 June, 2008, 09:43:52 am »
Hello to all.

It would appear that I am being dragged into the weird and frightening world of audax. Ordinarily I would put this down to the desire to buy yet another bike, but I find that I am doing longer rides (on my own) these days and have decided to take the plunge and join AUK.

I've read through a lot of the messages here and have really enjoyed reading about the longer rides - eye watering stuff. Thing is, I am genuinely stuck when it comes to buying a new bike. I do a lot of my cycling in Ireland (Ring of Kerry most years and did the E2E as well two years ago) and this is usually on a Dawes Discovery 601. It's heavy and slow but it gets me there. Back in England I own a Bianchi carbon racer (back pain after 25 miles and skinny tyres only) and a Ridgeback Genesis flat bar (alu, very crashy) and I'm wondering what to get.

I am a fat, cheerful enthusiast (there is a video of me huffing and puffing up the last section of the Galibier when an old man walks past me) and I love spending money on bikes. The best I can come up with is a trip to Hewitt's oop North for a fitting. They seem to have many of the bikes that people rate for Audax (VN etc).  That said, audaxers have a reputation for riding dreadnoughts forged from decommissioned mine sweepers. What do you ride and would you recommend it?

Any help would be really appreciated and I hope to bump into some of you as I start putting the miles in.


Charlotte

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Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #1 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:03:43 am »
Hi Tom - welcome to the wonderful world of long distance silliness  :)

To be quite honest, it doesn't matter what you ride, as long as it works for you.  Audaxers are quite idiosyncratic in their choice of machinery and you'll see pretty much every kind of bike on an audax, each with it's rider claiming that they have the best kind of bike for the job.

I have bikes from Roberts, Mercian and Thorn, as well as a cheaper generic frame from Raleigh.  All have been great for Audax and all have taken me over vast distances in comfort.

It's comfort that's the key word here - doesn't matter what kind of bike you ride as long as it's comfortable.  That's probably why all my bikes (and most of the bikes you'll see riders on) tend to be steel.  But it's not just about what the bikes built with - it's about how well it fits!

Any of the big custom (and semi-custom like Hewitt) builders will make sure that your bike fits well.  That's one of the things you pay for and it's worth it's weight in gold after the second century!
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rogerzilla

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Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #2 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:13:33 am »
The lightest bike you can get with mudguards, provided it fits.  Personally I'd specify a triple chainset - although some people (including me) will do longish rides on a fixed gear, stomping up the hills, sometimes you have a bad day and just want a bike that will get you there. 

A touring bike is usually a bit heavy and a bit long at the back, because it's designed to carry loads of luggage.  Likewise, racing bikes don't easily take mudguards and you'll probably need to carry a little more kit than you can stuff in your pockets.  I think I'm trying to say that you need an audax bike  ;)
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Martin

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #3 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:20:04 am »
I ride a cheapo alloy frame with mudguards, you can pick up a whole bike off Ribble for less than £400; despite claims from the steel framed riders that my arse would fall off it hasn't yet.

LEE

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #4 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:21:32 am »
+1 for Comfort (Speed is a distant 2nd)

Just before you buy your Audax bike try to imagine sitting on it for 1200km (80 hours or so).

Things like leaving the headtube long give you the option of raising the bars for the longer rides and bolting on a few accessories (at the expense of some loss of aesthetics, but you won't care after 300km).

Comfort, comfort, comfort.

Ideal bike for me is a  'Fast Classic Tourer' such as a Mercian (lots of those on the Audax circuit), Hewitts and so on.

Makes me wonder why I use a heavy hub-geared bike really.

I also like the option of running fatter/heavier-duty tyres (I mean 28/32mm) because I've cycled past people a lot quicker than me as they repair their skinny road-race tyres.

It's all so personal but I sense you are already leaning towards a classic fast tourer.  You won't go far wrong doing that.

Actually my ideal bike is the Thorn Audax 853.  I think it looks bloody gorgeous in the flesh

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #5 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:42:14 am »
Makes me wonder why I use a heavy hub-geared bike really.

Because it's comfy?

The hub gears don't make that bike heavy, they're lighter than the equivalent dérailleur gear bits and bobs.

You could always transplant it all into a lovely Van Nicholas Amazon Rohloff frame (list price of €1199) and get the hubs rebuilt into 700c wheels.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

LEE

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #6 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:43:28 am »
Makes me wonder why I use a heavy hub-geared bike really.

Because it's comfy?


Oh yes, that's it.

Julian

  • samoture
Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #7 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:58:51 am »
Actually my ideal bike is the Thorn Audax 853.  I think it looks bloody gorgeous in the flesh

Me too.  :)

When I am seventy-five and my current Thorn (a Thorn Brevet) begins to look shabby, I will will replace it with one of those.

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #8 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:06:52 am »
Whoever you go to for the bike you *MUST* tell them that you'll be using it for long distance riding. Any custom bike builder worth their salt should know and understand what makes a bike suitable for Audax.

Condor did a fantastic job when fitting me for my Tempo. When they asked "What type of riding will you be using it for?" they knew exactly what to do when I said "Multiple day Audaxes." (He then said "Rather you than me.") The bike has been perfectly comfortable on all of the rides to 400km so far. 600km ride on it next month...
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #9 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:19:22 am »

I am a fat, cheerful enthusiast ... and I love spending money on bikes.


Ah, you'll be very happy here then  :D

welcome!

Chris S

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #10 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:21:39 am »
Greenbanks speaks wise words.

When I was last shopping for a bike, the jolly friendly chap in Fat Birds (Hunstanton) asked what I would be using it for. When I said, his immediate response was - "Fine, that rules out everything that side of the shop..."

They need to know.

Mr Larrington

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Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #11 on: 11 June, 2008, 11:47:04 am »
I ride a cheapo alloy frame with mudguards, you can pick up a whole bike off Ribble for less than £400; despite claims from the steel framed riders that my arse would fall off it hasn't yet.

When did you last check?
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Martin

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #12 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:42:40 pm »
I ride a cheapo alloy frame with mudguards, you can pick up a whole bike off Ribble for less than £400; despite claims from the steel framed riders that my arse would fall off it hasn't yet.

When did you last check?
Well it's a lot bigger than last year so must still be there....

Julian

  • samoture
Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #13 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:44:07 pm »
I ride a cheapo alloy frame with mudguards, you can pick up a whole bike off Ribble for less than £400; despite claims from the steel framed riders that my arse would fall off it hasn't yet.

When did you last check?
Well it's a lot bigger than last year so must still be there....

Is it really bigger, or is it just a lot more swollen?

frere yacker

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #14 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:54:20 pm »
What distance?

Up to 200 you can ride whatever you'd normally ride.
Beyond that, comfort should be your priority.

And "comfort" needn't mean new bike.  If your current bike "fits", it can be as simple as raising the angle of the stem, moving to wider tires, changing saddle and adding gel inserts under the bar tape.  In other words, spending £100 rather than silly money.

Oh, and a compact chainset or a triple will help on hilly events.  But this can be avoided by choosing the right events (or being prepared to walk the hardest hills!)

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #15 on: 11 June, 2008, 12:55:40 pm »
...audaxers have a reputation for riding dreadnoughts forged from decommissioned mine sweepers.

Decommisioned minesweepers are made from plastic, so the magnetic mines don't get 'em. ::-)

What do you ride and would you recommend it?

Two rides and two recommendations.

I started on a tight-clearance alloy-framed race bike as it was all I had. Some race-blade joke-mudguards were fitted in the winter months. Overall it served me well for 12 months or so deciding whether I was going to carry on riding audaxes. Recommendation 1: use whatever you have now to do some 100km and 200km audaxes . Any of your bikes should do for 100km - if the 'race' bike hurts after 25 miles it needs sorting - you should be able to do a sunny 100km on a race bike without feeling beat up). Learn from these rides.

If you carry on with it, take what you've learnt and think about a new bike built for the purpose. This will be different depending on whether you are going to do 1/2 a dozen 200k's or 600k's a year. I have a steel-framed Roberts built for the purpose, handbuilt wheels, dynamo lights etc etc. These are things to think about in the future.

For the moment, the sun's out, so get out and try a ride.

Re: Hello from a newby/bike advice
« Reply #16 on: 11 June, 2008, 10:44:46 pm »
Wow - many thanks for the welcome and for all the advice :thumbsup:

Getting a triple was always going to happen...and the key word seems to be "comfort".

I'll let you know...

Thanks again