# Cycling



## 036 (Feb 27, 2003)

Any cyclists out there?


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## mat (Feb 25, 2003)

yep.... one here









Ive been riding mountain bikes for nearly 10 years now, but I wouldn't mind trying a road bike. I ride a GT zaskar, and a titanium voodoo, which is currently in bits as I snapped the forks (Marzocchi bombers) and just had the frame rewelded after cracking that too









Are you into road or mountain bikes?

Cheers,

mat


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

A mountain bike roadie here also, in that I ride my mountain bike to work whenever I can. I used to ride off road but then my regular cycling partner broke his ankle and he's never been back on his bike since he recovered. Since then I've become an Open University student and now never have time for any off road fun.

My bike has Marzocchi forks too (just the basic z5 air jobbies) but they're great both on and off road. The frame is an old Dave Hinde aluminium one, components are a combination off Funn and Shimano. Certainly not cutting edge but it works for me.

Cheers

Paul


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## peter (Feb 23, 2003)

Mountain bikes are for girls. Buy a road bike with some decent Campag equipment and you can ride forever and the Campag, like Swiss watches, will last(that's not to say that Shimano won't0 but that I have experience of Campag, on more bikes. Here's a few I have owned;

Raleigh

Carlton

Claude Butler(track bikes and racing tandem)

Bates(curly)

Mercian Superlight

Colnago

Giant carbon

Haven't been out on the bike for about three years! Still got the turbo trainer in the garage though, useful for some revs.

The bike that I have always wanted but never got round to owning is a racing Moulton. Ever since they first came out in the sixties( I was a racing schoolboy then and my hero was that greatest of all Englishmen, Alf Engers!) the nearest I got to one was riding a Raleigh RSW16( a Moulton copy but with wider tyres) and crashing it. However, (there is always an however) with prices for the racing ones hovering around theÂ£4000 mark, I shall have to wait a little while!

Peter


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

I've bought a Raleigh hybrid. I found mountain bikes totally crap for road use, being slower and harder to pedal. I was going to buy another racer, as I used to get to work like grease lightning on one, but at 54 I thought I was a bit long in the tooth for another of those, although I'm now not so sure, as I'm fairly fit, so I bought what I thought was a good compromise, with this hybrid. It is a BIG bike. You sit quite high off the road. It has BIG wheels, mudguards, and is very strongly built, with straight handlebars. It seems very good quality. It's a Pioneer 21, with 21 gears.

It's literally medium width tyres, and meant to be what it is, i.e., a hybrid.

It's a good bike for work, but, if I'm honest, I wish I'd gone for another racer like my old Claud Butler, which was a cracker


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## DAVID (Mar 17, 2003)

Was a very keen cyclist in my younger days, used to belong to Beeston Road club, did a few junior races around Derbyshire, then at about 16 discovered other attractions, Mansfield Bitter and girls. Had an old Carlton then, have had a bike on and off ever since, currently have a nice Peugeot and an old Alf Webb. Never tried a mountain bike, but I will one day, quite fancy the hybrid route like Griff.

The best bike I ever part owned was an ancient Raleigh Wasp tandem, built like a battleship, used to load up with fishing gear and go for miles, could carry so much stuff. It had a Simplex derailleur 4 speed and rod-operated hub brakes, the rear "passenger "had his own brake-pedal on the down tube, very handy!

A few too many insane car drivers around for my liking these days, but still have a run the occasional Sunday morning, although equally there are some mad-ba***rd cyclists as well.

Be interested to see what you think are the most annoying things on the road at the moment ?

D.


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## DAVID (Mar 17, 2003)

Was a very keen cyclist in my younger days, used to belong to Beeston Road club, did a few junior races around Derbyshire, then at about 16 discovered other attractions, Mansfield Bitter and girls. Had an old Carlton then, have had a bike on and off ever since, currently have a nice Peugeot and an old Alf Webb. Never tried a mountain bike, but I will one day, quite fancy the hybrid route like Griff.

The best bike I ever part owned was an ancient Raleigh Wasp tandem, built like a battleship, used to load up with fishing gear and go for miles, could carry so much stuff. It had a Simplex derailleur 4 speed and rod-operated hub brakes, the rear "passenger "had his own brake-pedal on the down tube, very handy!

A few too many insane car drivers around for my liking these days, but still have a run the occasional Sunday morning, although equally there are some mad-ba***rd cyclists as well.

Be interested to see what you think are the most annoying things on the road at the moment ?

D.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

> Be interested to see what you think are the most annoying things on the road at the moment ?


Thats easy , my wife.


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## peter (Feb 23, 2003)

David, I used to own a Claud Butler racing tandem, many years ago. It was some machine, it had track geometry but was fitted out for the road. With two of you on board some speed could be accomplished, I kid you not! I was invariably stoker but enjoyed that. We used to leave everyone behind.

My winter bike was always a fixed wheel. Claud Butler track bike. I cycled everywhere during the winter, snow and all on 69inch fixed. Taught me to pedal!

Does anyone here recall Alf Engers, Derek Cottington. Mike Mcnamara( I first saw Mike when I raced against him in a fifty up here when he was on holiday. that must have been about '69. he road a bike with the biggest front chainwheel I had ever seen in my life! We lived in a different world)

Then it was routine for you guys south of the Border to be breaking the hour on dual carriageways. We didn't have any up here, then!

Peter


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Me and Wife bought a bike each as a bit of fun.

Me a moderately priced mountain bike and she, a commuter, upright shopping basket type bike.

Whenever we go out I have trouble keeping up. It's really disheartening to be out of breath and peddling like f**k whilst watchin her sat bolt upright and with minimal effort, buggering off into the distance.

My bike has off road tyres which I reckon must be the reason, (or a good excuse). I mean they are big chunky old things compared to the wifes skinny tyres and I reckon they must create more drag, (if thats the right word).

Good fun though.


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## DAVID (Mar 17, 2003)

Some names I haven't heard for years. Wonder if the Sunday morning time trial scene still goes on , or whether modern road conditions have reduced it to nothing.

I agree about fixed -wheel bikes, a real art to getting the best out of them on the road, too many riders complain about the drawbacks, without realising the advantages.

My nephew has a mountain bike ,24 gears ?-does anybody really need that many ?

Oops, touch of the old codger creeping in there, "when I was a lad etc...."

D.


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