What type of bike

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:
I notice from your photograpghs that three things are missing from your bikes.

1. No prop stands which means that you have to lean your bike against walls etc. Why not have a stand on your bike.

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Prop stands are just useless weight really.

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2. Small bag buckled to the rear of your saddle. This is where you keep your puncture kit.

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I switch between 4 different bikes so all my kit lives in the hydration pack I always use.

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3. No hand pump. This combined with the above is taking a risk in the event of a puncture.

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I always carry 2 spare inner tubes, some self adhesive patches, a mini-pump, a couple of tyre levers, some spare chain links and a couple of multi-tools.

2 inner tubes and patches might seem like overkill but my current record is 5 punctures in one 15 mile ride!

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Originally posted by Ludwig:
John G- That's an interesting frame. Are those hand cut lugs?

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Not sure, it says it's handcrafted here?

It looks like this frame is constructed similar to a Rivendale?

On the subject of seat height - I've just had a quick look at my bikes and all of them have the saddle about an inch or so higher than the top of the stem. As the mountain bikes all have riser bars fitted that means the grips are about the same height as the saddle, but on the road bike the with drops the top of the bars is level with the top of the stem.

All my bikes feel comfortable to ride and it seems sensible to me that the road bike would benefit from a lower, more streched out riding position.

I'd never really paid specific attention to the bar height in relation to the bars before so I was quite surprised to find that on all 3 of my mountain bikes it's pretty much the same. On two of them I'd swapped the stems to tweak the riding position as well so at least it looks like I'm consistent with what riding position I prefer.

Regards
Steve

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Originally posted by Mick Parry:
I would suggest that the most comfortable position(avoiding putting strain on the back) is when you are sitting upright.

This may not be areodynamic but at at you will not suffer back ache.

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That might be the case for short rides on flat roads and cycle paths but I find an too upright a position hard work uphill and uncomfortable over longer distances.

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This is why I am avoiding Mountain Bikes and racers.

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Many mountain bikes, especially cheaper ones, provide quite an upright riding position. Anyway flexing your back is probably a good thing at your age!

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Also I have no wish to crush my sweets on the cross bars.

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Good plan - that's why smaller frames are better.

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Originally posted by John Gilleran:

My road bike of 17 years fits like that and was always comfortable on 30 mile plus rides.

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What height are you John? That's a pretty big frame.

John G- I meant the Rivendell, but I'm a sucker for all sorts of lugwork porn.

I think Mick should get a bike like this one:



It's from a British company (although manufactured in Taiwan), steel and very comfortable due to the plush suspension forks and wide 2.3" tyres. The sloping top tube lessens the chance of any nasty nut-crushing incidents and the disc brakes are ideal for when one has to stop quickly to avoid running over grannies and their poodles.

Best of all it even has fittings for a rear rack.

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Originally posted by Steve G:

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Originally posted by John Gilleran:

My road bike of 17 years fits like that and was always comfortable on 30 mile plus rides.

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What height are you John? That's a pretty big frame.

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I'm 6'1".

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Originally posted by Ludwig:
John G- I meant the Rivendell, but I'm a sucker for all sorts of lugwork porn.

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I have just spent a couple of hours perusing the internet looking for advice on bikes.

My criteria is

I am not super fit.

I value solid construction and reliability over looks and style.

I will ride mainly in urban / city areas which are flat

I want the bike to fit in with my lifestyle not the other way round.

I want chain guards and mudguards etc.

I even want a bell

I want a luggage rack.


The overwhelming advice was for a city bike or traditional bike with hub gears and an upright position.

I reckon I am drifting to my first choice of a Pashley Paramount shown here

http://www.pashley.co.uk/products/classic/paramount/specification.html

I think my search is over.

Thanks for all your advice.

Regards

Mick

Mick

Congratulations. Retro cool choice. Checked out the website. Roadster in Regency Green is right out of a Agatha Christie novel.

Enjoy
Clay

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Originally posted by Clay Bingham:
Mick

Congratulations. Retro cool choice. Checked out the website. Roadster in Regency Green is right out of a Agatha Christie novel.

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I'm with you. I much prefer the looks of the Roadster to the Paramount although I think I'd go for black.

Mick,

Congratulations on your choice, it looks like it meets your requirements well. Hope you get a lot of use from it. I'm kind of getting back into cycling myself and trying to ride everyday as long as the weather and wind cooperate to some extent.

Cheers,
John

Alex -- £6k is strictly for Roadie weirdos who obsess about resting pulse rates and lung capacities and so on.

With MTBs even i fyou go completely bannanas with something like this:



You'll still have change from £3k.

Matthew

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Originally posted by alexgerrard:
_Steve "4 Bikes" G_

How are you getting on with your new(ish) Specialised?

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It's been very good so far. I've made a few changes (wheels, brakes, chainset) already and it's about to get new forks (Fox Float 100RLC's instead of the original 80mm Skarebs) but after that it'll be pretty much exactly the way I want it.

Matthew, do you coast down to the pub on one of those?

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Originally posted by Ludwig:
Matthew, do you coast down to the pub on one of those?

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That would be great for the downhill bits at Glentress but I wouldn't fancy riding it up to the top.

We see all sorts there - freeride bikes, downhillers, even trials bikes - pushing their bikes up the hills!

What, no chair lift?

See if you can guess, Ludders, when going to the pub do I:

a) Mount my Santa Cruz V10 and pull a big tweaked tabletop off the pub roof into the beer Garden for a quick pint.

or

b) Walk. And then get poured into a taxi some hours later.

Matthew

Steve needs one of these:

I (if I didn't live in London) am probably half way between the two with the Blur -- which is pretty much my ideal bike:



Along with the Rocky Mountian Edge and Orange Sub-5.

Matthew

Answer to Matthew's multiple choice:

Neither. I imagined you donning lederhosen, Oakleys, and suede Pumas, riding a Pashley Paramount to the beer garden, and performing a few impromptu barspins and double tailwhips off of adjacent cop cars.

Santa Cruz make some nice ones, but I still like steel hardtails. My ideal combo city and trail ride is probably the relatively reasonable Rocky Mtn Hammer:

But I also like this Independent Fabrication Planet Cross (but in dark red with vanilla panels, no fade):

Tailwhiping a Paramount may well be beyond even the likes of Mirra, Nyquist, Mekon, etc. Although I would pay serious money to see Mick attempt such a feat.

Matthew