noob questions

jeremy powers has ideas about how to travel with bikes. be an airport ninja:

http://beta.velonews.com/article/98887/j-pow-s-journal-the-way-of-the-airport-ninja

BA discontinued the free piece of sports equipment recently, but I think it is only as an additional item, I think you can still have it as part of your standard allowance which is two pieces from the states.

yeah, i can get by on hand luggage for everything else anyway so that's cool. but nobody else has anything like this, right?

no other airlines allow you to carry bikes as part of your allowance, i mean

I think that if you can fit the size and weight criteria then it is OK, but I think the bike box is pushing those limits and whereas a few years back they would have let this slide its now rigidly enforced.

oh hai http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/passengerinformation/baggage/sports/cycling.jsp

ed, you ride a paddy wagon, right? i had pretty much ruled them out (and the 09 has horrible dorky powdered rims), but they are on offer at evans, which is where i will likely need to go because of their gatwick connect. would you recommend it for a relative noob commuter in a flat area?

I have a cross check. Gf has a jake frame with a load of other stuff on it. Someone parks a paddy waggon next to me at school and it looks fine apart from the hipster yellow deep section rims. Kona seem to make dependably solid stuff.

Hey you guys - is there any easy way (i.e. without removing it) to tell the size of a bottom bracket? Mine is 68mm x ???mm and I have no idea how to find this out, which I need to quite urgently. I've tried searching the web for it (it's a 2008 Focus Cayo Expert) with no joy. Advice appreciated!

pay day came and i'm going to the fancy pants trek store and a big retail park place today. probably not buying today, but v soon. good times.

does anyone have any comments on this thing btw: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k94/a14313/rps-60-limited.html

the trek store was wow. they kind of lolled when i asked to see the 1.2 (they don't keep stop of such cheap bikes in a place like this: http://www.trekbicyclestore.com/cs_images/stores/munich/home/large/home2.jpg).

but they can get it in if i want it. they can't get the 2010 until january, but they are going to phone round and see if they can find 2009 or even earlier models, perhaps of the 1.7 (which I think is now the 2.3).

they were really nice considering i didn't have €3000 in my pocket. i spent like an hour there with the manager, who spoke really good english, and fitted me properly using their magical electronic video fitting machine. apparently the top of my breastbone is 147.36cm from the ground.

i found the 2008 1.2 (compact crank) at the big retail park place for €555 (RRP of the 2010 version here is €750, so that's not bad). i am kind of one the fence about that. it's only 8-speed at the back (2009/10 are 9-speed), which apparently makes upgrades expensive (it's an all or nothing thing when you start with 8-speed? does that sound right?), and i guess even in a flat place like munich i would want the triple crank with just 8 at the back. i didn't get as good a vibe about the store either. it was bedlam and i couldn't find anyone to ask if they had my frame. on the other hand, i really don't want to wait until january.

keep stock

i guess upgrades would be expensive because 9-spd is now the standard? so like if you wanted to get a nicer rear derailleur it wouldn't work with an 8spd cassette

yeah, that is my understanding.

Caek, that Radon looks excellent. I don't know the make but the spec is pretty good, way better than you'd get on all but the most discounted/second hand Treks.

Thanks. It's a German make, I get the impression kind of like their Raleigh.

Ah cool. Well, if you bring it back to the UK at any point it'll seem exotic! Also, I have a German bike (a Focus - strongly advise you look into them, as their aluminium models are probably in your price range) and it's a fantastic and excellent value piece of kit.

what was your first road bike, mark?

First ever? A Motobecane back in the mid 80s, then a Holdsworth in 1989 or so which is still in my shed and which I rode on and off until 2005 when I got my Trek. I bought the Focus on C2W in 2008.

YOu should rehab that holdsworth as a winter project.

Keeping the bikes that I ride road-worthy seems to give me enough to worry about! (was truing a wheel before work today)

Also I can't get into my shed as the door is jammed shut :)

that is a criminal waste of a shed

sheds are a privilege imo

Well I own it, so I guess if I want a useless shed that's my right :) But yeah, I would like to get it sorted. Wonder where my drill is...

I would come and fix your shed, if I were in london. Nothing more manly than a fixing a shed.

o_O

caek, do decathlon have a store in Munich as their road bikes seem to review quite nicely and are well specced for the price it seems?

I just posted on the other thread - decathlon are opening a store here next month... what do ppl make of their b'twin sport 1 and 2?

sport 1
sport 2

by the looks of it, decathlon are in germany, but they don't carry the bikes and the nearest store is a train ride away : (

second opinions on the radon v welcome

Both have compact triple chainsets but only the 2 makes it onto the bottom rung of the shimano, the 2 also has carbon seat stays which seems pretty incredible at the price which should make it a smidge lighter and much stiffer at the back end.

The sport 2 looks like a pretty solid entry level road bike. The sport 1 looks a little too cheap to me.

Bike radar really liked the comp 3

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/b-twin-comp-3-32122

It is remarkable that they can turn out a Ti/Carbon Ultegra bike for less than £1800.

thanks ed, I'd imagine there might be some discount to be had over their opening weekend so I'll definitely go have a look

I think in that 500quid sort of price bracket the bikes are all much of a muchness, chinese made frame, bottom end shimano, however, bikeradar make a good point about decathlon's buying power.

trek also have the 1.1 coming out soon, caek, just to complicate things further

yeah, but i don't really want to wait until january. i'm calling the trek shop tomorrow to see if there have access to anything in germany in a 58, and if not i think i'm going to get the radon.

I hear that

and some winter tires. snow in munich tomorrow!

http://students.cup.edu/sac9223/Jerry_Seinfeld.jpg

At least you are in the home of schwalbe.

am gunna buy this, I think
http://glasgow.gumtree.com/glasgow/90/47250790.html

payday tomorrow, at which point i drop bank on the radon. good times.

wow, thats a great deal coz.

Cozen, I assume you've found out what size it is? I'd totally avoid getting a bike that wasn't at the very most one size removed from your ideal. My Cayo is a 58cm - a 57cm would have been ideal (had they existed) and it's made a difference to both comfort and how I've had to set it up.

I'm going to go view it (if the guy ever gets back to me; my parents live in the neighbouring town) so I'll get to see if it fits

what height are you, mark?

serious blizzard here. not feeling good about riding in weather this.

how do i shot winter cycling in countries with real winters?

it is the best!

it is awesome (ha, Mark C)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3207307598_96c2040137.jpg

6 foot, coz, 34" inside leg.

light, fast, chews hills; motherfucking road bike GET :D:D:D
http://img.skitch.com/20091016-byfaex5itab9a3nhhthi2gxmqf.jpg