noob questions

I would prob just use it for a few months & then resell it - I mean that I would do this if I don't end up liking it for whatever reason, tho chances are it will be fine for my immediate needs & I'll just end up using it.

Not sure what your geographical sitch is but buying a frame that you haven't ridden is pretty @_@, I tested over a dozen frames (10-50 miles per test) before choosing my current ride.

Jussayin/one rider's opinion.

I'm in Toledo, OH currently & have been observing the rust-belt used markets. I just did a bit of research & found out that there is a Torelli dealer in Dayton, so maybe i could take an afternoon & test-ride something, if they have a similar version of the frame.

In general, buying a used bike is turning out to be quite a hassle, tho at least the research involved has been educational.

i thot i posted an answer to this query before, but anyway-- 9 is fine.

torellis rep is ok, those frames look like std mid level alu. they are sorta steep geometry wise, like 74 deg s/t all sizes from what i could tell.

I take it it's easy enough to change the handlebars on a bike from one type to another?

threadless stem: yeah
threaded: lol

beware bar/stem diameter differences.

"old" (~pre-2002) road bars and stems- 26 mm (except for really old cinelli which were 26.4 i think)
"old" mountain bars/stems- 25.4 mm
new standard- 31.8? i think

also if you put mountain bars on a road bike you will usually need about 2 or 3 cm longer stem and vice versa

also beware differences in gear and brake lever clamps.

and if you're changing from a flat bar to a riser bar on a mountain bike, you may need longer brake/shift cables.

noob answer: changing anything on a bike is never easy enough.

I started riding my bike (part way) to work this month - most of my ride is along a paved bike trail, but 1/3rd is on a busy road. I think I need a rear view mirror. Helmet mount? I don't know. The ones that go in the ends of the handlebars have some kind of familiarity factor so I am leaning toward those.

Just as long as you don't let a mirror become and excuse for not shoulder checking when you should!

The guys who signed me up for this challenge looked very skeptical that I would need one, said I should just practice looking back w/o veering.

yeah, mirrors don't seem that useful to me, tbh---they shake and vibrate like mad, and aren't nearly as reliable as just turning your head.

Emma and I are thinking about getting bikes via the Cyclescheme thing (while we still can). We would be riding to work sometimes, which is about 2-3 miles, mainly along roads, pretty flat. But we also live near a glorious, many mile long towpath that goes alongside a beautiful canal / river. And we're in Devon, which may not have the biggest or steepest hills ever, but which has a LOT of hills, so we'd need geared bikes.

From what I know, which isn't much, I'm thinking we want hybrid bikes. Emma wants something that looks like Mary Poppins would ride it, I suspect. I would like something more modern. I don't want a big heavy sturdy mountain bike, but i don't want a skinny terrifying fastasfuck road bike either.

This place - http://www.bikesheduk.com/ - is very close by, and reputedly very good indeed. We had a nose round at the weekend and it certainly looked impressive.

I'd be willing to go maybe £800 between us, especially through the Cyclescheme (salary exchange thing through working at the uni).

Advice very welcome!

Pootling along the river to eat picnics and take photographs is the ideal use for these bikes, to be brutally honest.

Something with a basket on the front to put Cosmo in, maybe.

i would steer clear of hybrids - their suspension is usually not really great quality. if you're just going on gravel paths you'd both be fine with no suspension and fatter tyres to compensate.

giants are usually well-specced for their price point, maybe investigate a CRX flat-bar for yrself? not sure what's good in ladybike land tbh!

Nick, get Emma some cute-as-chips dutch-style number, and get yourself a cyclocross bike.

Specialized Sirrus(M)/Vita(F) look good in this regard. Wholeheartedly agree with haitch on the suspension thing. Giant Rapid series looks nice and I liked the Giant I test rode.

Also on that list, if they do Orbea's fitness range the Orbea Aos and Bios look great.

On the weekend I went for a 20-mile ride on pretty rocky towpaths by the Thames. One of our party rode a 23mm-wheel fixie, and while he was bumped around a fair bit he didn't fall off or puncture.

noob qn: what is it with the rims on some bikes, e.g. the moots psychlo-x on the bike lust thread? do they add rigidity? are they for aerodynamic reasons?

you are talking about the Mavic Carbone series...

well #1 they are carbon: very light composite material
#2 they have a deep 50-60mm rim flange which is more aero... can be faster in certain situations (low-wind, high speed)

they are not necessarily stronger or more rigid... their true benefit is in the weight savings and the aero benefit.

i think most deeps are more rigid which may help with lower spoke counts

if you can afford to burn through a bunch of 'em, all carbon deep tubies are supposedly good for cx/mud performance.

back in the days of spinergy revx i had some teammates who loved them for cx because they were actually very soft radially (basically 4 spokes) and absorbed shock pretty well.

also heard that deep profile sheds mud better than box profile

Got a quote on a £400 Marin Larkspur, whatever that means. I rode it and it was good, though. Emma got a quote on a Trek Allant which is very cute.

Why do you want such a heavy bike with all those hills?

And I guess you don't want his and hers bikes, but the Trek Allant for chaps is very pretty and has a handy rack if you're set on getting a hybrid.

really tempted to trade up my town bike for something lighter and sexier

Mine was way lighter than the Allant for boys, I thought!

Instead of my usual routine of riding a consistent but difficult pace (I'd say 85% of max effort) on my 15 mile commute home, last few days I've been spinning easier on the flats and then doing max effort sprints up the climbs (5 locations along PCH where it rises about 150 feet over 1/2 mile), not for any strict reason, just for fun, to switch up the routine. Anyway, I find that going up the slight hills while out of the saddle like that I skip out my rear wheel quite a bit. I'm mostly on the hoods, and leaned over pretty far over the bars. I'm guessing this is the reason? If I want to sprint like this should I stand straighter up? Could it be a bike geometery issue? I'm 6'1" and ride a size ML Giant TCR (effective top tube 57cm). I put a 130mm stem on recently to put myself into a little more leaned-over position, so I'm hanging a little further over the front wheel than I was before.

Anyway, is this a common thing? What to do to avoid it?

Used to do this on loose-surface mtb climbs, solution is basically don't lean so far forward.

It does just sound like a weight distribution thing to me, assuming your rear tyre is in good condition and the road surface hasn't been wet. Seems it could also be quite dangerous to have the front wheel so loaded as you'd wipe out completely if you hit an oil spill or nasty pothole.

Also, I wonder if your pedal stroke is in part the issue? If you are pushing down on one pedal or other 100% of the time, you should have enough downforce for the back wheel not to skip. If you're effectively unweighting the pedals during your stroke, then that will also help the back end skip. Maybe.

how do you keep your water cold on warm days?

wrap in a wet towel -> evaporation -> inside = cold

perhaps a sock wd be better?

doesn't sound like it'd look PRO tho

same principle: http://www.maxchill.com/Home.html

freeze water bottles overnight (with water inside)

^tried that but it didn't work for me; 30mins in they had melted and by an 1hr in they were beginning to get warm : /

noob questions:
(i) how do I tell what cassette/gearing I have - I think it's 12x27 but I can't be sure
(ii) how do I tell what size (measurement?) of tyres I have (and thus need for replacements and replacement tubes)?
(iii) when clipped in am I supposed to be pulling on the upstroke along w/pushing on the down?

i) count or look for the writing on the cogs, if you can't see the writing your cogs are too dirty, clean them, filthmonger.

ii) again should be embossed on the sidewall of the tire but it is also the approximate inflated diameter of the fat bit of the tyre

iii) yes but it fast becomes second nature, i wouldn't force it especially as your muscles may be under-developed. You'll know you're getting it when you ride all day and the things that hurt are your hamstrings.

is 12x27 an old man's gearing?

I find the little rind p.useless and the hardest gear on the biggest ring doesn't give me enough tension when going all-out

ring*

What are your front rings and what sort of cadence are you riding at?

now you're getting technical!

(dunno :))

12x27 with a standard crank (53x39) = fit rider looking for a bailout up steep climbs
12x27 with a compact crank (50x34) = perfect for beginners, but don't be mistaken: even some pro guys will go compact with a 27 if there are significant mtn passes to be ridden on a particular stage.

yeah, I think it's a compact (how do I know if it is?) I should take my bike to a mechanic and get him to talk me through it I guess

the amount of teeth should be written on the chainrings

and as Ed mentioned upthread... you can count the teeth ffs! :-P

counting is hard

noob question: how do I count?