Brain-Stew

Most recent activity

• Stylish cycling kit

  in Bikes & Bits • 6 days, 16 hours

  

  Tops fit as you'd expect, but find the shorts slightly odd. Slightly tight across the hip flexors but fit elsewhere. Have tried a size up (I'm a small and tried a medium), which allievieted the hip tightness but meant the bib straps felt loose. May just be me but don't have the same issue with Rapha, Assos, Castelli etc

• 1 bike to do it all... Tripster AT

  in Current Projects • 1 week, 3 days

  

  They are the SKS chromoplastics in 45mm. As far as mudguards go they are relatively faff-less to get on and off but I wouldn't want to do it every day. Also look a bit 'gappy' with lower profile road tyres. But keep my arse and feet dry year round, which significantly outweighs any other disadvantages

• 1 bike to do it all... Tripster AT

  in Current Projects • 1 week, 4 days

  

  The green looks handsome IRL. I wasn't sure when I saw the stock photos on the Kinesis site.

  This is my do-it-all, in "summer gravel" mode. Has a separate set of wheels with road tyres on for winter mile bashing. Mudguards stay on year round except on particularly muddy off-road days. Really love the bike and the way it rides - everything from multi-day multi surface bikepacking, to CX races, to the everyday commute. I went with 2x in the end as I do a fair bit on the road over winter and my legs appreciate the extra granularity in gear ratios. Particularly like the down-tube bottle mount to keep tools/tubes in

• Evans Cycles

  in General • 1 week, 5 days

  

  Employer typically will own the bike for the first 12 month lease, but ownership then transfers to the scheme operator if the lease is extended (for peppercorn terms; to maximise tax savings) for the remaining years.

  Mention this as, for many, the idea of their employer wanting to take back a 12 month old bike seems quite far fetched. I mean, what are they going to do with them? So the risk of losing out on the value of anything you've paid in cash to an LBS is minimal.

  However a nationwide cycle to work scheme operator could feasibly see the value in taking back bikes from the scheme, then flogging en mass.

  Cycle to work scheme thread

• Evans Cycles

  in General • 1 week, 6 days

  

  All of the individual schemes are simply the operation of the overarching government initiative (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio­ns/cycle-to-work-scheme-implementation-g­uidance)

• Evans Cycles

  in General • 1 week, 6 days

  

  The Cycle to Work scheme has been changed (it now allows employers to offer vouchers >£1000), but it has removed the loophole that allowed individuals to "top-up" the voucher in cash.

  I don't think there's anything to stop the bike shop from splitting down the bike into a chunk that is priced at the voucher value, and dealing with the remainder as an separate transaction. But that would require goodwill and the ability to make decisions by the staff member you were talking to (seems unlikely under the current Evans regime)

• Gravel Races

  in Rides & Races • 2 weeks

  

  Officially #notarace, but has anyone else entered the Frontier300?

  https://frontier300.cc/

  Will be my first forray into riding anything over 200k, but needed something new after getting jaded with conventional racing

• The Rapha Festive 500

  in Rides & Races • 2 weeks, 5 days

  

  So 2019 is the last year they'll be issuing stitched badges? I'm actually gutted about that :(
  https://www.rapha.cc/gb/en/stories/festi­ve-500

• Rapha, nice but a bit pricey?

  in Bikes & Bits • 1 month, 2 weeks

  

  As I get a bit older I find myself getting increasingly cold on long rides. Particularly bad after a cafe stop. I have been looking at the Rapha Pro Team Training Jacket, and Brevet Insulated Jacket as potential Christmas investments to keep my hands on the feeling side of numb. Already doubling up base layers and don't want to wear too many layers as it becomes quite ungainly.

  Ideally I don't want to ride around in ninja black, and unfortunately the pro team insulated jacket appears to be all but sold out. I'm erring towards the Brevet jacket in that case, but am slightly put off by the lack of standard pockets. Any thoughts on which would be a preferable winter outer layer?

• Tubeless Tyres -"saying the same things about tubeless tyres over and over again" Fucking read the fucking first fucking post.

  in Mechanics & Fixin' • 2 months, 2 weeks

  

  Ah got it, apologies. For completeness I use the Genuine Innovation ones and found them reliable: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genuine-Innovat­ions-Bacon-Tubeless-Refill/dp/B01MCYSRCY­