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Blackpuppy

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,181
So I got into cycling recently and bought a purefix Juliet on eBay for 90 quid a few months ago. Friend put it together and I've cycled maybe 10 times on it.

Basically both pedals fell off in the space of two days because of the crank thread. I got the left crank replaced for a tenner but the crank set looks like it'll cost 100 at a shop to do.

I'm curious if anyone knows of the cheapest place to buy parts in the UK.
And the bike came with a 44T 165mm set. Would it matter much if the teeth amount were different?

The gear ratio changes whenever you change the number of teeth. In your case, since we're talking about the front chainring:

More teeth: harder to start, more difficult up hills, but more speed (Fire Stingray)

Less teeth: easier to start, easier up hills, less top speed (Golden Fox)

What is the rear teeth count? According to the manufacturer's website, it's 16t freewheel / 15t fixed cog.

Let's say it's the 16 in that case, you have a 2.75 gear ratio. With this you can do the following speeds:

Cadence / Speed
10.8 mph@50 rpm
12.9 mph@60 rpm
15.1 mph]@70 rpm
17.2 mph@80 rpm
19.4 mph@90 rpm
21.5 mph@100 rpm
23.7 mph@110 rpm
25.8 mph@120 rpm
28 mph@130 rpm


(source: https://www.surplace.fr/ffgc/)

So that gives you an idea of what your current ratio can do and if you wish to change things up, it all depends on your geographical location and you own abilities/needs/wants.

As for replacing the cranks, most crank arms will allow you to take the chainring off in order to replace them. So all you really need is a new crankarm. They're not terribly expensive and not difficult to change as long as you have the right tools.

But you can't put just any crank arm because on a single speed/fixed gear, it's very important that the chainline be straight. You need to see what size your bottom bracket is first and buy a crank arm that conforms to that sized bracket, otherwise you have to replace the crank arms AND the bottom bracket.

If you're unsure, just let the shop take care of all those issues. Or find a bike co-op that can help you.
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
I need to ride my road bike at an event in a few weeks so I took it off the trainer and out today. Averaged 7/10 mph faster and 11bpm fewer. Feels like cheating.

I think I'm going to try and ride outside one weekend day every week even as it starts to get colder outside. I've got all the gear and I should use it. Plus, I'd like to give the cold weather ride I bombed out on last year another go. We'll see how cold it gets before I chicken out.
 

ChrisR

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,794
So I grabbed a new bike after my previous one was stolen, but there has to be something off with the current seat position, because I get insane wrist pain after about an hour of riding. How should I adjust my seat to prevent that?

No, bike fitting wasn't a part of the purchase :(
 

Sqrt

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,880
So, the Sunday after the next is have a gran fondo. I would like some tips and suggestions about what to do/train during the week prior. Thanks!
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
The event is 160km. My training are semi daily 40km and one long (100km+) ride on weekends.

Well at this point you just want to show up to the event as fresh as possible (you'll hear about racers tapering before events). Do a few easy rides this week so your legs are fresh but still loose and get plenty of sleep. Do as much prep (filling your bottles and stuff) you can the night before so you can just roll out the door in the morning without worries. Then have fun!
 

FondsNL

Member
Oct 29, 2017
958
So I grabbed a new bike after my previous one was stolen, but there has to be something off with the current seat position, because I get insane wrist pain after about an hour of riding. How should I adjust my seat to prevent that?

No, bike fitting wasn't a part of the purchase :(

Bike position with regards to wrist pain

This might help you out! You want as neutral a wrist position as you can get.
Might be down to the saddle but it's more likely that your wrist position has been effected in some way.

So, the Sunday after the next is have a gran fondo. I would like some tips and suggestions about what to do/train during the week prior. Thanks!

I did my first 160k ride a few months back. So I'm hardly an authority but here is what I've experienced:
I trained up to 120 before that and did about the same as you. A couple short to medium rides and one long ride. So fitness wise, you're fine!
Make sure to bring enough food. I noticed that there is sort of a hump that you get over past those 100k's where you start needing a lot more energy.
Bring some gels, bars and if you have the option get some "real" food in there at some point as well.
Pace your ride well. I start out about 3-4 km per hour slower than my usual average pace and then kick it up at around 100k's if I have more left in the tank.
Outside of that, just try and enjoy yourself!
 

bawjaws

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,573
Bottom bracket has finally given up the ghost after about 9,000 miles. RIP faithful square taper BB.

Removing said expired BB was slightly hard work :D Always a bit scary when you're literally standing your full bodyweight on a spanner! And pulling the cranks was tough work too.

Annoyingly, although I was 99% certain of the size of the BB, I still had to remove it in order to verify the dimensions. New like-for-like replacement is on its way so hopefully I can get they installed tomorrow and not miss any commuting runs next week.
 

bawjaws

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,573
Bottom bracket has finally given up the ghost after about 9,000 miles. RIP faithful square taper BB.

Removing said expired BB was slightly hard work :D Always a bit scary when you're literally standing your full bodyweight on a spanner! And pulling the cranks was tough work too.

Annoyingly, although I was 99% certain of the size of the BB, I still had to remove it in order to verify the dimensions. New like-for-like replacement is on its way so hopefully I can get they installed tomorrow and not miss any commuting runs next week.
So, replacement BB did not arrive today. Most annoying. A parcel from DPD, addressed to me, did arrive, but it was most definitely not my order and not a BB! It's some poor sod's Amazon order, which DPD have somehow managed to put my shipping label on. Grrr.

I have managed to find an alternative part in Decathlon (thank the lord for their spares workshop, which I didn't even know existed until today), but I'm really quite cross that I've had to rush about like a mad bastard to get the part, and that I've also wasted a few quid on next-day delivery from Wiggle. I'd imagine that Wiggle and DPD will now blame each other for this and I can kiss goodbye to my original BB and the £5 I paid for next-day delivery.

First time DPD have let me down. And it seems that their website makes it as hard as possible to contact them if there's a problem. Boooooo.
 

FondsNL

Member
Oct 29, 2017
958
Yeah I've got some horrible experience with DPD as well.
Come over once, leave a note that they'll leave it at a pick-up. Don't leave it there but come by the next day.
Leave another note that they'll leave it at a pick-up... don't do that another time and send an email that they'll come by the next day between 22:00 and 23:00 (!).
The next day they're ringing the doorbell at 09:00 in the morning...

Great service...
 

ɣGammaɣ

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,013
the middle of the woods
So after corresponding with Fairlight about the frame sizes, same outcome as my own research and conformation from FondsNL , we went to a LBS on Saturday.

We wanted to try out some road handlebars and see if we could get comfortable with it. Sadly the LBS was a joke, when we got there the owner was already drunk and gave us road bikes, after I asked three times for it and declined the trekking bikes, he wanted to give us. Problem was for the road bikes, he had to go to the cellar ^_^

The Bikes were broken as hell, the one from my girlfriend, not functioning front derailleur, mine got a stuck back wheel (not adjusted brakes). It was glorious, price 10€ per hour per bike.

Nonetheless, it was a good test and the handlebars felt good. Only problem we had were the brakes, to far away and lot of force was needed to brake (rim brakes). Maybe it was because of not fitting frame/bikes or messed up brakes at all.

Yesterday was nice, we found a new cycling route, suddenly we were out of the city on some gravel roads and kept going till we arrived in another city, relaxed a little bit at a park and went back.
 

FondsNL

Member
Oct 29, 2017
958
So after corresponding with Fairlight about the frame sizes, same outcome as my own research and conformation from FondsNL , we went to a LBS on Saturday.

We wanted to try out some road handlebars and see if we could get comfortable with it. Sadly the LBS was a joke, when we got there the owner was already drunk and gave us road bikes, after I asked three times for it and declined the trekking bikes, he wanted to give us. Problem was for the road bikes, he had to go to the cellar ^_^

The Bikes were broken as hell, the one from my girlfriend, not functioning front derailleur, mine got a stuck back wheel (not adjusted brakes). It was glorious, price 10€ per hour per bike.

Nonetheless, it was a good test and the handlebars felt good. Only problem we had were the brakes, to far away and lot of force was needed to brake (rim brakes). Maybe it was because of not fitting frame/bikes or messed up brakes at all.

Yesterday was nice, we found a new cycling route, suddenly we were out of the city on some gravel roads and kept going till we arrived in another city, relaxed a little bit at a park and went back.

Good idea to try out some bikes! Bit of a bummer that the LBS you went to wasn't too... professional?

When using the brakes were you in the drops (low end of the bars) or on the hoods (on top of the bars)? When using the brakes you'll primarily want to be on the hoods, especially in the beginning.
The brakes were probably horrible since the rest of the servicing state of the bike doesn't sound too good either.
When brake cables are slack there isn't a lot of force on the brake calipers. The brake pads could've been worn as well.
I wouldn't worry too much about that, since the bikes you're looking at are disc brakes. You'll have all the breaking power you need ;)

At least you got a bit of a feeling for a road/ gravel bike. It can only get better from here XD
 

ɣGammaɣ

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,013
the middle of the woods
Good idea to try out some bikes! Bit of a bummer that the LBS you went to wasn't too... professional?

When using the brakes were you in the drops (low end of the bars) or on the hoods (on top of the bars)? When using the brakes you'll primarily want to be on the hoods, especially in the beginning.
The brakes were probably horrible since the rest of the servicing state of the bike doesn't sound too good either.
When brake cables are slack there isn't a lot of force on the brake calipers. The brake pads could've been worn as well.
I wouldn't worry too much about that, since the bikes you're looking at are disc brakes. You'll have all the breaking power you need ;)

At least you got a bit of a feeling for a road/ gravel bike. It can only get better from here XD

^_^ don't know how they can run a business like that.

On the hoods, riding in the drops was a funny feeling but I don't give too much into it because or frames where too small overall, I mean I had to be really cautious to not get my feet into the wheels in the corners ^_^

But I had a look between the two GRX series (600 vs 800) which is basically 105 vs Ultegra. Now I'm a little bit unsure if we should go Ultegra to get the better breaks with servo wave action? My girlfriend had problems to reach the breaks and if I understood, servo means less distance on the breaks before breaking sets in? Will calculate the real price difference, taking the other changing parts into consideration.

But overall it was a good experience and we very much look forward to order the bikes.
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
Since I've been feeling pretty good on the bike and also dumb I signed up to do a 30 mile mixed terrain ride the day before the 45 mile (but low effort) ride I've got coming up in about 2 weeks.

This is how the general mix is described

  • Pavement: ~50%. Any road bike would be great; 23-25c tires.
  • Dirt roads and fire roads: ~12%. Tires in the 28-30c range will be appreciated; filetreads or knobbies might be good for some rides.
  • Singletrack, well-groomed: ~33%. A 40mm knobby or even a full mountain bike tire might be perfect for good singletrack.
  • Singletrack, primitive - "goat trails" with roots and rocks in abundance: ~5%. Most riders will be wondering why they didn't ride their mountain bike. Any section that's this challenging is worth it because it means there's something great on the other side of the sector.
  • Hike-a-Bike: One or two moments where you might find walking faster than riding. It is truly a moment or two during the ride. For these sectors you'll want to leave your bike at home.

So, should I go with

A) Challenge Gravel Grinder 38mm that are already on my bike and probably better for the road sections that are technically the highest percentage of riding

challenge-gravel-grinder-tlr-700x38.jpg



B) Giant Sycamore S 38mm that came with the bike originally and would maybe be better for the single track sections?

Giant_Sycamore_S_Tyres.jpg


C) something else, although I'd rather not

I should say that I am very inexperienced on single track so I probably would favor something that feels better on those parts over speed on the road, if in fact B is significantly better than A in that regard.
 

HTupolev

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,413
Unless it gets muddy, or if you're worried about sidewall cuts from sharp chunks, I don't see much reason to bother switching to the Giant tires.
 
Oct 25, 2017
11,181
What started as a search for suggestions about helmets (wanted to do that before just asking blind in here) led to me discovering Psychotext 's injury. I then read through the thread for each of his updates. I know he's been a major fixture in this little community for years so a) holy shit, b) very glad you're on the mend. Hope @ing you isn't too annoying as I know you're mostly staying away while you rehab.

To my original purpose..... I need to find a good helmet, mostly for city commuting. But I'd like to spend more than $20 for once and get something comfortable/practical. Any suggestions? Budget would be $40-100 USD, I'm thinking. Is there a good, trustworthy site I can scan for info like this? I despise searching 'best ______' and finding a myriad of lists that are designed to generate clicks and get commission.
 

FondsNL

Member
Oct 29, 2017
958
What started as a search for suggestions about helmets (wanted to do that before just asking blind in here) led to me discovering Psychotext 's injury. I then read through the thread for each of his updates. I know he's been a major fixture in this little community for years so a) holy shit, b) very glad you're on the mend. Hope @ing you isn't too annoying as I know you're mostly staying away while you rehab.

To my original purpose..... I need to find a good helmet, mostly for city commuting. But I'd like to spend more than $20 for once and get something comfortable/practical. Any suggestions? Budget would be $40-100 USD, I'm thinking. Is there a good, trustworthy site I can scan for info like this? I despise searching 'best ______' and finding a myriad of lists that are designed to generate clicks and get commission.

Regarding helmets:

Helmets with a MIPS system are pretty much the new standard. It's an insert in the helmet that allows the helmet to move a bit upon impact thus diverting forces from you precious skull.
MIPS helmets are becoming cheaper and cheaper, so you'll want to look for one with a MIPS system.
GIRO, Bontrager, KASK and Lazer all make helmets under the $100 mark with MIPS systems.
The GIro Syntax for instance or the lazer Blade are nice helmets and should suit your needs.

There are of course other brands such as POC that are just hella expensive.
Other new systems such as wavecell also offer more protection but they're still really expensive.

My bet would be GIRO or Lazer with a MIPS system.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,657
What started as a search for suggestions about helmets (wanted to do that before just asking blind in here) led to me discovering Psychotext 's injury. I then read through the thread for each of his updates. I know he's been a major fixture in this little community for years so a) holy shit, b) very glad you're on the mend. Hope @ing you isn't too annoying as I know you're mostly staying away while you rehab.

Funnily enough, today isn't a bad day for an update...

Last few weeks have been fairly uneventful. Have used the AlterG treadmill a few times and I'm slowly raising the percentage of my bodyweight that I'm using to walk. I've hit 80%, but despite only doing half an hour I was ruined the next day. Have done maybe five or six turbo trainer sessions as well, and they've also left me suitably knackered. Not ideal as it's meant skipping a lot of my other rehab exercises. I guess I had six weeks of those though, so no massive harm in switching things up.

Just got back from my three month consultation (time doesn't fly, trust me), and sadly it's not all good news. Whilst most of my fractures are healing OK, there's one that basically hasn't done any healing at all. This explains where a particular pain I've been having is coming from. Consultant tried to be upbeat, in that I might see healing there anywhere up to a year or more, but he wasn't particularly convincing.

However, there are big positives. I can now fully weight bear (all weight on one leg), which means I can now drive again. I'll be going from two crutches to one, and with the assistance of the AlterG machine, hopefully I'll be down to none soon enough (maybe just a walking stick for if I get tired?). Being able to drive means I can get to the gym and use machines for isolated, muscle training, which will hopefully help a lot getting me walking etc again.

Will still be 9 months before I can do anything involving impact (running / jumping etc), and I can't risk weighted squats etc, but it's a step in the right direction. All my focus now is on getting some fitness back, and eventually walking without a limp.

Oh, and I took a pic of the screen with my x-rays on. Quality aint great but you can see the metalwork. Longer of the two screws is M6.5x120mm.

rwj4w.jpg
 
Oct 25, 2017
11,181
Genuinely very interesting to hear about, Psycho. And some big milestones yet to come...

Regarding helmets:

Helmets with a MIPS system are pretty much the new standard. It's an insert in the helmet that allows the helmet to move a bit upon impact thus diverting forces from you precious skull.
MIPS helmets are becoming cheaper and cheaper, so you'll want to look for one with a MIPS system.
GIRO, Bontrager, KASK and Lazer all make helmets under the $100 mark with MIPS systems.
The GIro Syntax for instance or the lazer Blade are nice helmets and should suit your needs.

There are of course other brands such as POC that are just hella expensive.
Other new systems such as wavecell also offer more protection but they're still really expensive.

My bet would be GIRO or Lazer with a MIPS system.
Just saw the Syntax in store for $155 CAD. Tried it on and it felt great. Read some reviews and then found it online for $105 CAD minus $20 for being a new customer.... huh. Sold. But until it shows up at my door and the Giro branding doesn't peel off the helmet I'll be skeptical. Thanks!
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
Funnily enough, today isn't a bad day for an update...

Last few weeks have been fairly uneventful. Have used the AlterG treadmill a few times and I'm slowly raising the percentage of my bodyweight that I'm using to walk. I've hit 80%, but despite only doing half an hour I was ruined the next day. Have done maybe five or six turbo trainer sessions as well, and they've also left me suitably knackered. Not ideal as it's meant skipping a lot of my other rehab exercises. I guess I had six weeks of those though, so no massive harm in switching things up.

Just got back from my three month consultation (time doesn't fly, trust me), and sadly it's not all good news. Whilst most of my fractures are healing OK, there's one that basically hasn't done any healing at all. This explains where a particular pain I've been having is coming from. Consultant tried to be upbeat, in that I might see healing there anywhere up to a year or more, but he wasn't particularly convincing.

However, there are big positives. I can now fully weight bear (all weight on one leg), which means I can now drive again. I'll be going from two crutches to one, and with the assistance of the AlterG machine, hopefully I'll be down to none soon enough (maybe just a walking stick for if I get tired?). Being able to drive means I can get to the gym and use machines for isolated, muscle training, which will hopefully help a lot getting me walking etc again.

Will still be 9 months before I can do anything involving impact (running / jumping etc), and I can't risk weighted squats etc, but it's a step in the right direction. All my focus now is on getting some fitness back, and eventually walking without a limp.

Oh, and I took a pic of the screen with my x-rays on. Quality aint great but you can see the metalwork. Longer of the two screws is M6.5x120mm.

rwj4w.jpg

These are what some real ischial tuberosities look like
 

JediTimeBoy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,810
Lokking to get my first bike, for indoors only (Zwift, maybe Sufferfest), and wondering if this will be ok?


Planning to buy the Elite Suito direct drive trainer (when it comes with out) to use with it, if that makes any difference.

Otherwise, any cheap alternatives would be appreciated!
 

Teggy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
Saw a pretty unique handlebar config this morning

71e3c6a9-67db-4d3f-btbj28.jpeg



Also I don't understand why both Strava and the Wahoo app ignore the kilojoules data they receive from the power meter and use some terribly inaccurate calculation for calories burned based on heart rate.
 
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Frontieruk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
664
Lokking to get my first bike, for indoors only (Zwift, maybe Sufferfest), and wondering if this will be ok?


Planning to buy the Elite Suito direct drive trainer (when it comes with out) to use with it, if that makes any difference.

Otherwise, any cheap alternatives would be appreciated!

Nothing wrong with that bike, I want to say it was designed and speccd by the bike plus guys for Argos.

Some things to note though, the trainer you are looking at comes with an 11 speed cassette attached, you'll need to remove that and replace it with a 7speed cassette of the same range which will require a spacer or two to fit the hub.

If it was me I'd probably grab this Crossbike, you'll still have the issue I mentioned above but the Shimano shifters are Almost industry standard so if you do end up getting a more expensive bike for the outdoors you'll be used to the shifting method rather than having to learn again then switching between methods as you switch bikes. But that's just me, I hate the switch period from my commute bike to my leisure bike as the older shifter has thumb switches. I keep promising myself to upgrade them... It'll probably be cheaper replacing the bike lol
 

Titik

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,490
Ohhh I dusted my old Batavus old Dutch and I forget how much I love riding.

Replacing the front lights but the back lighting cannot he replaced which sucks. Any ideas on smaller lights that can go on the railings of a bicycle's rack? The two main vertical ones ideally.
 

JediTimeBoy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,810
Nothing wrong with that bike, I want to say it was designed and speccd by the bike plus guys for Argos.

Some things to note though, the trainer you are looking at comes with an 11 speed cassette attached, you'll need to remove that and replace it with a 7speed cassette of the same range which will require a spacer or two to fit the hub.

If it was me I'd probably grab this Crossbike, you'll still have the issue I mentioned above but the Shimano shifters are Almost industry standard so if you do end up getting a more expensive bike for the outdoors you'll be used to the shifting method rather than having to learn again then switching between methods as you switch bikes. But that's just me, I hate the switch period from my commute bike to my leisure bike as the older shifter has thumb switches. I keep promising myself to upgrade them... It'll probably be cheaper replacing the bike lol

Haha lol.

Would either of these be ok?



Btw, one is £279, and the other is £349 (both with Shimano shifters and gears). Is the only difference between them that one has 14 gears, and steel forks, and the other has 16 gears, and carbon forks?

Tbh, if the cheaper one of those two, is ok for Zwift etc, then I'll go for that one.
Also, what tools will I need to buy in order to swap the casette?

Thanks for the help!
 

Frontieruk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
664
Haha lol.

Would either of these be ok?



Btw, one is £279, and the other is £349 (both with Shimano shifters and gears). Is the only difference between them that one has 14 gears, and steel forks, and the other has 16 gears, and carbon forks?

Tbh, if the cheaper one of those two, is ok for Zwift etc, then I'll go for that one.
Also, what tools will I need to buy in order to swap the casette?

Thanks for the help!

All the bikes are fine, the one you are looking at is very good for the money! I just thought I'd mention the shifters as if you do end up swapping bikes it can be a learning curve like going backwards and forth from a manual to an auto car...

With all those bikes you'll be needing a spacer when changing the cassette on the trainer. As the hub is designed for 11 speed, if I remember correctly the 7cog (14 speed bikes) will need a 1.85 and a 4.5 spacer and the 8 cog (16speed bike) will need the 4.5 spacer but I could be a bit off there some of the others in here would be more knowledgable than me on that.


As to tools

I have
This chain whip and Cassette removal tool not as portable as a real chain whip but has allowed me and my mates to replace the cassettes on all our bikes.

There's a video of how to remove the cassette on the decathlon pages.
 

bawjaws

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,573
Another vote for the Decathlon cassette removal tool. Far easier to use than a traditional chain whip.
 

JediTimeBoy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,810
All the bikes are fine, the one you are looking at is very good for the money! I just thought I'd mention the shifters as if you do end up swapping bikes it can be a learning curve like going backwards and forth from a manual to an auto car...

With all those bikes you'll be needing a spacer when changing the cassette on the trainer. As the hub is designed for 11 speed, if I remember correctly the 7cog (14 speed bikes) will need a 1.85 and a 4.5 spacer and the 8 cog (16speed bike) will need the 4.5 spacer but I could be a bit off there some of the others in here would be more knowledgable than me on that.


As to tools

I have
This chain whip and Cassette removal tool not as portable as a real chain whip but has allowed me and my mates to replace the cassettes on all our bikes.

There's a video of how to remove the cassette on the decathlon pages.

Thank you very much!

Btw, how can I tell how many teeth the casette needs?
 
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Frontieruk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
664
It's almost time for n+1 until I sell one of my bikes to make space for the new one ( I need a bigger shed)



So I'm either picking up a Voodoo Bizango
ybQaFMK.jpg


Or the Norco Fluid 2 the NX eagle
5KDwbOs.jpg


Just deciding atm
 

mintzilla

Member
Nov 6, 2017
582
Canada
Would you guys recommend a chain tensioner for a single speed bike with horizontal drop outs?

I had an issue of my real wheel sliding towards the front and adding to much slack to the chain. I re adjusted and torqued it nice and tight and now it holding steady but I am wondering If a tensioner would eliminate this issue in future.
 

HTupolev

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,413
Would you guys recommend a chain tensioner for a single speed bike with horizontal drop outs?

I had an issue of my real wheel sliding towards the front and adding to much slack to the chain. I re adjusted and torqued it nice and tight and now it holding steady but I am wondering If a tensioner would eliminate this issue in future.
A wheel slipping in the dropouts is a huge no-no. "Fixing" it with a chain tensioner is like using pontoons to hold up a sinking ship and claiming that the ship is fine. Riding around with the wheel at an angle can damage your dropouts and make it harder for the wheel to stay in place in the future; even if you have a tensioner keeping the chain tensioned, it's far better to immediately get off the bike and fix the position of the wheel! Also, a large slip can cause the tire to jam against the non-driveside chainstay, which isn't a good situation at all.

Always adequately torque the nuts on the rear wheel axle so that the wheel doesn't slip, don't bother with a tensioner.
 

Fubar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,722
I recently got this bike for pretty cheap thanks to a work discount - it's my first real bike that I have owned, and the first bike I'll be riding since like 4-5 years ago when I borrowed one from a family member and rode it ~50 miles a week or so. I'm excited to really get going with this.

Anything I should really know? Anything to watch out for? I don't want to break something or screw something up on the bike, so any tips would be helpful.
 

mintzilla

Member
Nov 6, 2017
582
Canada
I recently got this bike for pretty cheap thanks to a work discount - it's my first real bike that I have owned, and the first bike I'll be riding since like 4-5 years ago when I borrowed one from a family member and rode it ~50 miles a week or so. I'm excited to really get going with this.

Anything I should really know? Anything to watch out for? I don't want to break something or screw something up on the bike, so any tips would be helpful.
only thing i can think of is to make sure all the bolts and stuff are sufficiently tight. and also that the brakes are properly adjusted.
 

FondsNL

Member
Oct 29, 2017
958
Hey everyone!

You all probably know GCN.
I'm collaborating with them to host my survey on Cyclists Palsy. The results will be used in an article published in the dutch journal of hand therapy.
Feel free to answer the servey here
Or watch the entire show here

Thanks!