Search results for:

This guy is my inspiration, as I also have those Adidas kicks and like to do topless squats to prepare for my CX season

http://www.gitaneusa.com/images/art/2007/Miroir-0285---021.jpg

I finished my Gitane singlespeed cyclocross project recently:

The frame was powdercoated RAL 5025 by a company here in Berlin (http://www.color-your-bike.de/) who were expensive but highly recommended for quality. The RAL colour wasn't quite the French Blue of Gitane but still looks very nice. I also had them add a bottle cage mount.

Components: San Marco Rolls saddle, Campagnolo Record seatpost, Cinelli 1R stem and Cinelli Top bars (would like to try a slightly shorter stem and maybe the 42mm bars are a bit too wide), Tektro CR720 Canitilevers and RL520 Levers

Wheels are an old set of Mavic Cxp22s with Ambrosio fixed hubs (I couldn't afford to go as far as a new set unfortunately) with 32mm Challenge Griffo Clinchers which are great.
For the drivetrain a Shimano 18T freewheel, KMC 710SL chain and Stronghlight Track chainset (44T).

New Velo Orange French threaded Headset and Bottom Bracket.

Can't wait to get on some trails now with it!

More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/benedict_w/sets/72157628219836537/

@m.f. that's a very generous offer, unfortunately 56cm is probably too big for me - i'm normally 54cm max.

anyway a group ride sounds good maybe we can organise something nearer the time?

What about an appeal to forumengers to see if you could borrow something or go for a ride together?

That would be great! If we have a few up for it.

New Forest Cycle Hire do Giant Revels or Boulderer MTBs.

I'm back for 10 days so I guess if the weather isn't looking too bad nearer the time I could even bring mine with me.

The nearest cycle-experience do to a road bike is apparently a 'Giant Escape'

Hargroves also recommended New Forest cycle hire.

Seems there is not much choice!

Cheers M.F.

I know the place actually, have sent them an email to see what they've got. I was hoping there might be more chance of getting a road bike in either Bournemouth or Southampton, but otherwise yes MTB will have to do!

Hope this is the right forum - I've been looking at posting in the Bournemouth sub forum but it seems to have been down for a while.

I'll be back at my folks in the New Forest / Lymington area over Christmas but I'd rather not bring a bike with me from Germany given the nightmares to be expected with Christmas travel. However I'll go bored ridged being stuck there for a week with no riding, so I'm looking into hiring a reasonably decent road bike in the area, but I can't find anything.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance.

thanks for the info al,

i'm thinking about spending a weel or so over there and maybe doing this and the paris roubaix challenge. but need to look into the logistics of that a bit more.

i'd like to ride the sportive next year - any idea when details will be announced?

@almac68 is 85EUR really the cheapest accomodation?

I stayed at Camping Orlando in Chianti:

http://www.campingchianti.com/it/

Highly recommended - we stayed in the bungalows. They were well furnished with shower and kitchen, there was also a small bar and shop on the site.

I think we paid 200 or so for the week - got a special deal as we booked early. There were a couple of others there for L'Eroica but most of the site was empty.

It's right at the top of a very long hill so car hire was helpful (especially after the event!)

finally uploaded my photos from l'eroica - http://www.flickr.com/photos/benedict_w/sets/72157628085244800/

Thanks Allister,

I managed to get the rollers off, and I've inspected the plastic housing races but I can't see any cracks - I'm only 70Kg and probably don't have the power output of your sprinters!

There is some more discussion about the issue here:
http://forum.tacx.com/viewtopic.php?t=14561&sid=c060186cde3b040e9930410a781e01ca

It seems the bearings might be slipping out of the housing to cause the rattling noise (which I guess would be more likely to happen if the housing was cracked).

I'm not sure exactly what is happening with mine but there seems to be a bit of play in the bearings on so I will try ordering some new ones. Fingers crossed that'll sort it.

Unfortunately I bought the rollers on eBay so have no warranty, To be fair the guy I'd bought them off didn't appear tot have used them at all, and the issue only appeared after a few months for me.

I need to replace the bearings on my Tacx Antares rollers as I have the rattling noise problem (after hardly any use).

Has anyone done this - how did you get the bearings out?

i made an expander bolt by screwing a nut onto a quick release skewer which gave me the purchase to hammer it out from inside pretty easily. in case anyone else is so stupid or has a cartridge that doesn't come out with the axle.

thanks. i've been trying that with the screwdriver, but not able to get much purchase on the cartridge.

i was thinking about just smashing the bearing and buying a new one, but i'm not sure that wouldn't still leave the race stuck inside

just supposing hypothetically you were a complete idiot and got carried away hammering in the bearings to actually put the axle back in - what would you do?

the manx missile strikes again!

clearly he has more stamina than he's given credit for:

http://roadcyclinguk.com/news/mark-cavendish-and-peta-todd-expecting-baby-conceived-during-the-tour-de-france.html

@dglshrn

I've cycled on a lot of the bike paths since I've been out here this year (also on an old touring bike) I was running 28 Panracer Pasellas but decided to upgrade to 32s, to better cope with some of the rougher bike paths.

Last Easter the weather was lovely and I nearly did Berlin-Copenhagen myself, but decided to be lazy and look around the town as I'd just moved here and been working a lot. Next year I might take the chance though.

The roads are dead flat, but often windy. I'd say you wouldn't need to up your training too much, depending on the mileage you want to cover.

Hi

I'm looking for a set of Stronglight Track cranks, 165mm.

e.g. like this http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CSSTTR2K/stronglight-track-2000-crankset, but without the chainring as I want something more oldskool looking and 42T.

Also a French 107mm BB (ideally one of the Velo Orange ones) to match.

Anyone have either of these going spare?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIFAnpwL3No&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC7XY4f7lvM&feature=related

I'm in the middle of a singlespeed cyclocross conversion, I'd like to build it with a double guard for the chainring.

I believe this means using a triple crankset with the guard on the inner and outer rings, e.g. using a Stronglight Impact - http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b2s109p1699

I'm using these Ambrosio hubs on an old wheelset - http://www.ambrosio.co.uk/ambrosio_track_hubs.htm, which I believe have a standard 42mm chainline.

My question: would it possible to get a 42mm chainline with a triple cranset (without fouling the chainstay) or should I give up on the double chainguard idea? Is the only way to find out to buy the bits and try? (I'd rather not do this!)

Has anybody else attempted this?

Thanks!

i think you might have whizzed passed up mt santa maria

Hah! I definitely wasn't "whizzing" I had a bit of an incident on Mt Santa Maria actually. I had to stand on pedals for the steep bit and completely lost traction with my rear wheel in the gravel and I ended up on flat on my arse with my feet locked into the toe clips (I have those "suicide cleats" that are hard to get out of) and it took me a while to untangle myself!

I'll try and get my photos up soon too.

Wow! What a week I've had, and a fantastic weekend. Back to earth with a bump at work today unfortunately.

The 205 was probably the hardest ride I've ever done. I could have been a bit better prepared (mechanically as well as physically!). I took 3 punctures, first a pinch flat but my spare inner tube was missing the valve, and my repair patches weren't sticking, so I had to fix it twice more before I managed to buy a new inner tube off the mechanics at the control. A 42 / 24 smallest ratio also was not ideal for some of those climbs, but I did make it up them all (slowly). Should also have set off earlier too because I finished in 13.5 hours!

The bean stew at lunch and dinner was a life saver, but I daresay it put anyone off sitting too close to my rear wheel for the remainder of the course. I made a point of having a glass of wine at each of the 8 controls which had a pleasant dulling effect on the brain.

The ride was fantastic and Tuscany is really the most beautiful place for cycling, the event itself was a great and colourful celebration of cycling culture, and I could have (in fact very nearly did) bankrupt myself at the market.

Next year I think the sensible thing would be to do the 135 and enjoy the spectacle and a few more glasses of wine at the end, but in all likelihood I'll want another crack at the 205 when it comes.

It was nice to meet peter_v and tika during the course, sorry to have missed the rest of you!

i've just received an email with my number. it says to bring proof of payment - i don't remeber receiving any. did any of you?

edit - found it: paypal receipt

...make your way 30km north to lucca- Tis a beautiful town and I found Pisa to be a bit of a shit hole

agreed. 1 day here is enough, once you've seen the tower there's not a lot more to it.

off to the chianti region tomorrow. can't wait!

hopefully catch up with some of you next sat.