# New Bike!



## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Well, new to me anyway. It's a 2004 Giant OCR compact road bike. I haven't rode a bike on the roads for years and just going up and down our street made me nervous but then again it was dusk and I had no lights.

My mate paid Â£750 for it new and he's letting me have it for considerably less. I was set on a hybrid but I couldn't let this go at such a good price.

It has a Campagnolo gearing system and there's 27 of them.

I'll have to get some bike shoes to clip into the pedals and I'm worried about not being able to release them in time if I get to traffic lights. :huh: What are they like? Are they easy to get used to?


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## minkle (Mar 17, 2008)

Running_man said:


> I'll have to get some bike shoes to clip into the pedals and I'm worried about not being able to release them in time if I get to traffic lights. :huh: What are they like? Are they easy to get used to?


 :lol:

I have always imagined stopping and dropping! So have never used them!

Lovely looking bike


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

That's a nice bike.

Clipless pedals (why are they called that when your clipped in? :blink are the way forward. I bought a set of Shimano 540's for my MTB a year ago and I couldn't do without them now. It's so much easier to pedal uphill, since you're pushing and pulling at the same time and no more flailing legs when i lose footing whilst jumping something.

With mine you can adjust the tension in the clip so that it's easier to get in and out whilst getting used to them. Didn't stop me from toppling slowly sideways a couple of times when I forgot I was using them the first few times though. Still... it amuses everyone who's watching I suppose.


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## Stuart Davies (Jan 13, 2008)

*Great *choice Andrew!

With the tripple chainring you'll be able to climb Everest too! Clipless pedals IS the way to go. Sure you'll fall off a couple of times at junctions but it doesn't take long before it becomes second nature - it's like putting on a seat-belt. And they sure hell are a lot safer than the old 'bear-trop' type strap and cages!

I understand through your running that you are a fit bloke and what you have there is a great basis for an upgrade as and when you desire. To do this all you'll need to do is replace your wheel-set and you 'll have a bike which wouldn't look out of place on a starting-line.

I've had MANY road bikes over the years and GIANT IMO has the best balance of stiffness and comfort. The compact frame make it a great bike for sprinting -in fact when I was a Second Cat rider it was my bike of choice...

...my old TCR










Get out their my friend, be safe, and enjoy the freedom cycling has to offer...

S


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Cheers for the nice comments lads - I'm very nervous about using the roads and worry about safety but that's something I'll have to overcome. I'm sure in time, my confidence will be high enough to let riding become second nature. I've heard that in traffic, you have to assert yourself, be confident and a bit cheeky without being too aggressive.

Stuart, that's a great looking bike and I love those wheels!

Cheers,

A.


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## Stuart Davies (Jan 13, 2008)

Thanks Andrew but long gone now :cry2:

The wheels are Mavic Ksyrium SL's. Unfortunatly they are about Â£600 a pair but are worth every single penny IMO. Any road rider will tell you the mind-blowing difference a decent pair of wheels make's to the handling, rolling speed etc. But even at that price they are only regarded and mid-range. You can (like everything else in this world) spend Â£000's on a pair of wheels!

Have fun. I know you will


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

But where is the rack? Where are the panniers? How will you get your shopping home? Disappointed 

Nice bike  It's nice to start out with a quailty bike, I am sure that you will get a lot of pleasure from it. Should help with your running too with all the impact free training you'll now be doing.

I don't have clipless pedals (although I do have the shoes :blink: ), right now I am using cages and as has been said, hills are a lot easier than with plain pedals. The cages are dangerous though, I forget about them and have no time to wriggle out before hitting the deck, I am especially good at falling off at traffic lights. On my way back from a long ride last week I needed a rest, I forgot about the cages and careered towards the kerb, unfortunately I hit a waste bin on the pavement at about 45 degrees ripping the skin off all the knuckes on my left hand but fortunately the the impact sent me back upright to 90 degrees :lol: I would advise you to stick with pedals till you are comfortable on the bike and riding in traffic.

Have a great time!


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

OMG - another one to clutter up the place! :yes:

But that's OK as long as you don't plan on using it in Edinburgh - otherwise - ENJOY


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## jaslfc5 (Jan 2, 2007)

cant go wrong with giants . i havent had a racer since i had 2 eddy merckx they were brilliant bikes in their day .happy days.

as for pedals i have spd's on my full sus and get on with them fine ,i have a pair of flat pedals on my cannondale because basically cages are death traps and should be outlawed.

i need to do more riding and maybe i will get a racer again .good luck with the purchase stay safe .

jason.


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## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

They are called 'clipless' because there is no toe clip, lovingly referred to here as cages or death-trap's. Simply twist your foot to release, just like ski bindings, and they will usually release if pulled directly up if you do it hard enough.

I have 000's of miles using toe-clip and strap with no spills or incidents *injuries *that I can attribute to my feet not being free. If adjusted right you can use a tc&s just the same way as a clipless pulling on the upstroke.

It looks like those are Look pedals, I think that's what's on my Bianchi. The disadvantage is that they are single sided, so sometimes you get going and have to flip them (just like a tc&s) to get them the right way up to clip in. The double-sided clipless eliminate this but I have never used them on a road bike. My Peuguot mountain bike has double-sided but they are big 'n' chunky, so I can ride in sneakers at a pinch.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Well, I went on my first ride this morning. It's the first time on the roads for about 12 years and the first time I've ever used these shoes / pedals so I went out about 8 am before the weekend leisure drivers took over. I got used to the pedals after about a mile of easy riding and then made myself 'have it' for another 29 miles. Because my feet were locked into the pedals, I've exercised muscles I didn't know I had what with me using the full revolution of the pedal and on the hills I could really feel the burn. I wish I'd have worn my heart rate monitor now out of curiosity.

Late this afternoon I knocked out an 8.5 mile run and despite being a little tired from a heavy week I could feel the benefits of throwing a ride into the mix.

I'm now relaxing with a beer!


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## Stuart Davies (Jan 13, 2008)

30 miles on your first ride out is pretty impressive Andrew! With your fitness you'll easily be up to 75-80 miles on a weekend run.

Tomorrow your arse is going to feel like its been beaten with a cricket bat but give it a few days and it will settle down. From then on you won't have any more bruising as long as you don't leave it more than say two weeks between rides. Don't be tempted by changing saddles to a fat padded one or using stupid gel covers, they are a waste of space and are actually less comfortable than the really hard ones (I used to race on a solid carbon saddle h34r: )

Well I went out and did 45 miles this morning. I'm really not very fit at all and at 2.5 stone heavier than I was when I used to race I'm finding it pretty tough. I need to get my arse in gear because I'm off mountain biking in Italy is 6-weeks time (Lake Garder) - its going to be hell on earth I know LOL.

Keep up the good work - S


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Stuart Davies said:


> 30 miles on your first ride out is pretty impressive Andrew! .


That's what I thought, I vividly remember my first ride, after one mile I was seriously worried about my abilty to get home. 



Stuart Davies said:


> Tomorrow your arse is going to feel like its been beaten with a cricket bat but give it a few days and it will settle down.


I still ache if I am in the saddle for more than 3 hours, it hurts but is curiously enjoyable.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Stuart Davies said:


> 30 miles on your first ride out is pretty impressive Andrew! With your fitness you'll easily be up to 75-80 miles on a weekend run.
> 
> Tomorrow your arse is going to feel like its been beaten with a cricket bat but give it a few days and it will settle down. From then on you won't have any more bruising as long as you don't leave it more than say two weeks between rides. Don't be tempted by changing saddles to a fat padded one or using stupid gel covers, they are a waste of space and are actually less comfortable than the really hard ones (I used to race on a solid carbon saddle h34r: )
> 
> ...





MarkF said:


> Stuart Davies said:
> 
> 
> > 30 miles on your first ride out is pretty impressive Andrew! .
> ...


Cheers guys, I'll probably lay off the bike tomorrow as Sunday to a runner is always the long one but I'm looking forward to doing more on the bike. Thankyou for the advice and support. :thumbsup:


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