Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: jags on April 16, 2014, 10:38:31 pm
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So yeah just thinking what next could i buy when i have money of course.lets see now.
tyres grand bios being drooling over them a long time now.
bush and muller luxus u headlight.
new front dynamo wheel.
good quality lightweight tent 2 man.
i reckon that wouls see me right for many a year,what about you lads planning on buying stuff you really really need. ::) ;D
anto.
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Hi Jags,
Didn't you already have all this and sell it off with the Sherpa ::)
I am always trying to justify buying new things - it's my birthday, I will use it loads, it has amazing reviews, it costs a lot so it must be the best, I can always sell it and get my money back if it doesn't work out. I wonder what other excuses we use to justify our spending.
My next purchase? I think we already know that. Now I just have to think of a name for him/her. Should a Sherpa have a male or female name I wonder. Alternatively I may just wait a while until you sell all this stuff with your Audax ;)
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;D ;Dnow now bikerta no need to rub it in :'(
but yeah i did have that lot right enough I'm a geek for sure but when your not working and funds are rock bottom what choices does a fella have but to sell off his prized possessions (did i spell that right :)
nah the audax is a keeper its perfect for my needs and its a cracking bike for sure.
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I seem to be spending myself into a big black hole without planning on the least of it!
A couple weeks ago I rode into Woodstock. When I got there, yikes, where is the key to my lock? Ach, it was in my pants pocket which I hadn't zipped up. It must be lying on the side of the road somewhere!
Usually when I am riding I keep my key in the inner zipped pocket of my handlebar bag. But the big project in town was to attend a lecture, which meant leaving the bike locked up for a couple hours. Woodstock is a tourist town with lots of foot traffic and all sorts of people. Leaving bags on the bike, hmmm, I thought it better to use one big bag (pannier) instead of two smaller ones (saddle & handlebar), so that meant swapping stuff around... and breaking my routine, always a risky venture!
Fortunately there is a bike shop in town, so I bought a new lock, an ABUS Bordo Combo Lite 6150. They had some really silly combo cable locks and then a monster chain lock, so this seemed like the only reasonable option!
Ah, and my pitlock pit was on the key ring that disappeared, along with the key! I ordered two replacements, given that I don't seem to be able to hang onto them very well!
So that is an example of my unplanned diving into a hole! Who needs plans!
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best layed plans jim ;) your going to have to do a bit of back tracking to find the lost keys you might get lucky.
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I seem to be pretty well set for now, Anto, so I'm enjoying the spectator sport of seeing what others are getting, and why.
A couple recent *very* successful purchases for me were the new smartphone/accessories and a PlanetBike Blaze2W Micro LED headlight: https://ecom1.planetbike.com/3072.html It is powered by 2AA cells...replaced by a pair of Eneloop XX cells I can recharge from the bike's charging system or the solar panel. It has a sunlight-visible blink setting and two levels of nighttime brightness I can actually see with. Despite a very rocky start to the relationship -- mine arrived misassembled -- I have come to like it very much. It was even sweeter for being a free acquisition thanks to my REI dividend. Spare brackets are available from PB for USD$5ppd, so I got a couple of those and can quickly swap the light from bike to bike. For those considering it, the supplied bracket can indeed be sized-down to fit a 22.2mm MTB handlebar or Thorn Accessory T-bar.
Best,
Dan.
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Jags, I just sent a note today to Brad at Tall Tree Cycles, asking if my Raven will be ready for final sizing a week tomorrow -- I get back to Ottawa a week today (Thurs) so I'm hoping that his answer will be, "Well of course! Where ya been, man?" In preparation for The Big Day, I spent more money than I ever thought I would on a new camera, a Panasonic XS40, and that's already on my shelf at home. (Will see our daughter Meg in Foggie Olde for a few days, starting on Monday :-) and give her my several-years-old-but-still-sound Nikon P50.)
Treated myself to a new pair of Sidi road shoes too, replacing my faithful ten-year-old items...Gawd, where will this spending frenzy all end?? (I tell myself that this is likely the last bike I'll buy; ditto the shoes, etc., etc.; both are likely to be good for at least another 15 years.)
Will post shortly (I hope!!) a few photos of my new black & silver Raven, taken with my new black & silver Panasonic.
My People in Ottawa tell me that the snow has finally gone from the yard. Probably lots still in the Gatineau Hills across the river, though--we had 250 cms-plus this year, and not much melted except for one bizarre wet weekend in January--so I may not get to test the Raven on the hills until early May.
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Will post shortly (I hope!!) a few photos of my new black & silver Raven, taken with my new black & silver Panasonic.
Cannot wait to see 'em, John. I suspect you *might* feel the same! ;D
Soon now, soon...!
Best,
Dan.
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yeah look forward to the photos.glad to hear that blasted snow is finally gone hate the stuff.
best of luck with all the new gear,we are after all big kids when it comes to buying stuff ;D ;D
jags.
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Hi John,
Like everyone else I am looking forward to seeing the shining black and silver cousin to my Sherpa.
Regards, Alfie
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Just received today a new Spa Nidd saddle in brown, http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m2b0s204p2667&i=3283
Also planning to convert my Audax Mk3 to a Shimano Alfine or Nexus 8 speed hub gear.
And also to convert my Brompton to Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub gear, which reqires a bit more work, but there is a good guide to this here http://mistymornings.net/blogs/mm/?p=45
Just have to pluck up the courage to spend the money.
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rual will you let us know how that saddle fairs out it looks like a well made saddle every bit as good as the brooks (or is it).
why would you want to go hub on the audax ???
jags.
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Classic Timbukt2 small messenger bag
Surprisingly comfortable even on my 40 mile commute, although I only use it occasionally
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Hi have ordered and got a new Awol Adventure Bike ;D
Kiwi Pete.....
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rual will you let us know how that saddle fairs out it looks like a well made saddle every bit as good as the brooks (or is it).
why would you want to go hub on the audax ???
jags.
Jags, the Spa saddle seems very well made and looks good, reviews online tend to suggest it is a bit harder than a B17 and takes a bit longer to break in, time will tell.
Just fancy simplifying the gears on the Audax, as I rarely use more than seven out of nine sprockets and only occasionally move to the inner or outer chainrings. The Alfine 8 has a more reliable reputation than the Alfine 11, and I think with the right chainring and sprocket then 8 gears will be fine, if not I can fit a second chainring to extend the range.
And if the Alfine 8 was good enough to get Vin Cox around the world it should be good enough for me, http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/blog/03/09/10/vin-coxs-round-the-world-record-is-official
Experience with the Rohloff on my Sherpa has convinced me that hub gears are great and require much less maintenance.
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emm makes sense i suppose i'm just not a hub man love my mechs ;D ;D
good luck with the change i'm sure you know best.
i wont buy the nidd just yet as i love my fizik alanti super saddle.
jags.
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For my commuter I'm think long of get a dynamo wheel and the luxos u light and rear light then that one will be pretty much upgraded...
For my audax though I keep on weighing up the need for a dynamo hub, I like the idea but just not sure I need it because of how and when I use the bike and then if I do get on whether to go for an edelux 2 or a luxos for USB charging as I don't think I need USB charging because of where I use the bike again but I am just need it... And so on. I am still thinking of getting some 853c forks though.
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bush and muller luxus u headlight.
new front dynamo wheel.
anto.
That is all I am interested in. But the front wheel on the travel master is a top one witha ceramic layer. Not sure what to do. Replace hub or buy a new wheel with dynamo hub and the ceramic rim. Thing is I am happy with my Trailtech lights 800 lumen LED 2 batteries 6 hours and 9 hours but always have Hope 200 lumen on. This is a back up in case I forget to charge up the battery I am using. Now I know the best dynamo ain't going to beat my trailtech but most headlights waste a lot of light. I have no problem with my headlamp lighting up the top of the trees and the Lincoln Red bull in the field to my left But it is wasted light and they reckon the most expensive dynamo head lights are much more focused and therefore waste less light. Will think about it for a year or two or.......search eBay and save the search!!!
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sd check out rose bikes or bike discount for front dynamo wheel (shimano) you might get lucky..
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For those who have the financial discipline DON'T save up to buy your next purchase instead do as I do. Take out a zero interest spending credit card say a Tesco (for the points). It has 16 months zero interest. Each month I will put enough money into savings account so I can pay off the credit card at the end of the interest free period. Then pay of the card in full and keep the interest. Borrowing at negative interest rate can't be beaten
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next buy is barbag and that chargAndre recommended.
trying to get my son in the states to buy them for me,but his wife is a tight as a ducks arse in water although i love her dearly ::) honest i do. besides its my birthday in june so early present.
i live in hope.
jags.
nice idea sd but never work with me.
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next buy is barbag and that chargAndre recommended.
trying to get my son in the states to buy them for me,but his wife is a tight as a ducks arse in water although i love her dearly ::) honest i do. besides its my birthday in june so early present.
i live in hope.
jags.
nice idea sd but never work with me.
Not an idea mate, done it for years and years.
Also my brother live in California I buy over the internet and have it sent to him and he brings it to UK. Massive savings. Gave him a Trailtech LED light to send to manufacturer to repair as the distributers here didn't know how to repair it?
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sd check out rose bikes or bike discount for front dynamo wheel (shimano) you might get lucky..
Woooow not going to do it but all the same
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200851201352?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=500126247181&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
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Okay now going to the other extreme.... Bottle dynamo? Anyone used one. Cheap and a good backup? Could be used at dusk to save battery. Used in conjunction with normal 800 lumen lights to give better light output closer up. Anyone used one in all weather conditions and can tell me how they performed. Noticed that a lot of tyres have a sidewall designed for a dynamo.
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Okay now going to the other extreme.... Bottle dynamo? Anyone used one. Cheap and a good backup? Could be used at dusk to save battery. Used in conjunction with normal 800 lumen lights to give better light output closer up. Anyone used one in all weather conditions and can tell me how they performed. Noticed that a lot of tyres have a sidewall designed for a dynamo.
I replaced the last bottle dynamo on my own bikes about 3 years ago, still got them on the 2 visitor bikes and one of my wife's bikes (these 3 bikes hardly ever used after dark, not used for commuting in traffic, so no real incentive to replace the dynamos).
Nordlicht dynamo was used in all weather conditions for at least 12 years on my commuter, no slippage problems as sometimes happens with bottle dynamos. Plenty of output for modern LED lights. Downsides compared with hub generator - noise, noticeable drag.
With hub generators I tend to leave the lights on all the time for commuting - the extra drag isn't noticeable and I reckon the slight extra visibility is worth having.
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Well my next purchase will have to a new pair of goretex trainers that I can cycle in. My much loved but utterly wrecked Timberlands are dropping to bits. They've been an utter joy to ride in with my flats. I've got some spd-type footware for use with my other pedals but for riding on varying surfaces its trainers and DMRs.
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I also need some new goretex trainers for cycling in before I get actual holes in the soles of my present trainers.
I know everyone says you should go clipless on bikes, but I really don't want to as it worries me that I will be caught out with the bike going over and me unable to put my foot down. It doesn't help when a friend of mine took his 1957 Dawes out for a spin the other day and he couldn't get his foot out of the toe straps and went down with the bike. He is now out of action for months with a broken hip. He is in his late 70s mind, but the doctor said it's a pity because his hips were in good order and would have outlasted him. So I think I will just carry on as I am with flat pedals and trainers thank you, even if I do have to put a bit more effort into my cycling.
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whatever your comfy with is the secret ;)
i ride clipless all the time never had a problem guess i'm just used to them.
best way to try out clipless is to clip in on the right as most riders put there left foot on the ground first,that way you soon get used to your feet clippen into the pedals.
they do make a hugh difference especally when climbing push pull all in one action..
jags.
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You have not made that easy. I think I might go for one and take off my hope one. I could just use it when needed ie a proper back up.
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I also need some new goretex trainers for cycling in before I get actual holes in the soles of my present trainers.
I know everyone says you should go clipless on bikes, but I really don't want to as it worries me that I will be caught out with the bike going over and me unable to put my foot down.
I feel the same, and in any case have dodgy knees so don't want to be fixed too firmly in one position. Instead I use these Zefal strapless clips (http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/403/45119/zefal-strapless-toe-clips-black.html)
(http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/403/45119/image.aspx?product=45119-Smal;Warehouse;Warehouse&)
They keep my feet on the pedals when standing, and save me from kicking the pedal round to its starting position in stop-start traffic, but work with any shoes and are really easy to get in and out of - I've never ever had a 'clipless' moment. I feel much safer with them than without. So what if they're not as efficient!
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whats the best pedal to use with them ;)
jags
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I use those Zefal plastic strapless clip things - brilliant in my view. I never got on with clips / SPDs or whatever and had a couple of falls with them.
As someone says, you can use them with any shoes or boots, so handy if going to the shops or the showers on a campsite or whatever.
My pedals are GR9 Platform Road pedals. They flip round very easily, if you miss it, just carry on or tread down on the clips, they reform OK later. Suits me fine.
Lewis
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just curious lewis i'm not going to the expensive of changing my pedals at this stage ;)
thanks
jags
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I don't normally get to involved in these types of threads they just encourage me to buy stuff. But today I brought one of them there new fangled rubber brooks saddles. They had one in my LBS and it is so nice, well made and very comfortable. Only time will tell how comfortable.
Peter
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what never heard of them are you winding anto up.
yeah i reckon i walked into that :-[
anto.
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Donerol, those Zefal clips look ideal. A good happy medium where you have a little extra power, but not so much as to keep your feet trapped on the bike. I will look into these, though I can't spend too much at the moment. Whoever said that using a bike was cheaper than running a car :o
Jags, I have read that when people start going clipless, they never go back, but I guess I am just too stubborn to start with them.
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those Zefal look to be ideal Jackie.
but look stay with what your happy with ;)
when did you say you were off.
jags.
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Trip is not until 29th of July, so few more weeks yet. Need to get a few more hills under my collar first.
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I feel the same, and in any case have dodgy knees so don't want to be fixed too firmly in one position. Instead I use these Zefal strapless clips (http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/403/45119/zefal-strapless-toe-clips-black.html)
(http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/403/45119/image.aspx?product=45119-Smal;Warehouse;Warehouse&)
They keep my feet on the pedals when standing, and save me from kicking the pedal round to its starting position in stop-start traffic, but work with any shoes and are really easy to get in and out of - I've never ever had a 'clipless' moment. I feel much safer with them than without. So what if they're not as efficient!
How flexible are they. I assume the less flexible the top part is the more efficient. I think I used to have a pair. How much by the way?
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They are quite stiff - stiffer than trad metal toeclips with the straps loose. Cost £4-5, so not going to break the bank :) . I've had one pair on a bike for at least 10 years.