Bike advice.

[Colin Blackburn]

In addition to building a recumbent and converting some of the bits left over to a fixed I've decide
I can justify one more wedgie, at least to myself if not my partner or the bank balance.

Firstly, I don't have a road racing bike. I don't race after all. But, I would like something for
training rides that it a bit lighter and faster than my tourer.

Secondly, although running is my main competitive activity I know a lot of du- and tri-athletes and
one day I'm going to end up saying yes---and no doubt end up with wobbly legs.

Thirdly, I have always fancied giving cyclocross a go. It's possibly an irrational urge but
what the heck.

Is there a single sensible (type of) bike that would have the potential, with switching of tyres or
whatever, to fulfill all three roles? Or would I be more sensible just taking the rack and guards
off my tourer and saving my money for something else?

Colin

 

[Peter Clinch]

Colin Blackburn wrote:
> In addition to building a recumbent and converting some of the bits left over to a fixed I've
> decide I can justify one more wedgie, at least to myself if not my partner or the bank balance.

[1-3 snipped]

> Is there a single sensible (type of) bike that would have the potential, with switching of tyres
> or whatever, to fulfill all three roles?

The closest you'd get would be a 'cross bike, I'd think, but I'd be inclined to get a bike for what
you *know* you'll do. "Well I'm bound to get around to it one day" is all very well, but if it's 3
or 4 years before you get round to it then something better may well be available and/or for less,
or they might have changed the rules or whatever. Or you might have changed your other parameters.

> would I be more sensible just taking the rack and guards off my tourer and saving my money for
> something else?

You clearly want to go and spend some money on something... why not get really upright for not too
much money and get a Muni? Not the most practical machine in the world it's true, but very good fun,
and a real sense of achievement riding it half a km without a break!

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

 

[Arthur Clune]

Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:

: The closest you'd get would be a 'cross bike, I'd think, but I'd be inclined to get a bike for
: what you *know* you'll do.

So sayeth a wise man.

A cross bike is your only option for something that will do it all, but if you want something for
tri/duo why not get a proper race bike? If you've got a MTB then a MTB with slicks makes a better
cross bike than a cross bike with slicks makes a race bike if you see what I mean.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org "Techolibertarians make a philosophy out of a personality defect"
- Paulina Borsook

 

[Colin Blackburn]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> : The closest you'd get would be a 'cross bike, I'd think, but I'd be inclined to get a bike for
> : what you *know* you'll do.
>
> So sayeth a wise man.

Yeah, but!

> A cross bike is your only option for something that will do it all, but if you want something for
> tri/duo why not get a proper race bike? If you've got a MTB then a MTB with slicks makes a better
> cross bike than a cross bike with slicks makes a race bike if you see what I mean.

I haven't got a MTB :-(

Of course I could get more than one but I was just wondering if there was a single bike with that
sort of flexibility. Looking at the price of even the cheapest cross bikes I suspect I could get a
reasonable road bike and a fair MTB for the same sort of sum. At the moment I'm just fishing for
excuses. I know that through the winter I am unlikely to use the tourer for touring and some bike to
use at the weekends for something is what I'm after.

Colin

 

[Colin Nelson]

"Colin Blackburn" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:MPG.19d29e613a6b83ac989c7e@localhost...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > : The closest you'd get would be a 'cross bike, I'd think, but I'd be inclined to get a bike for
> > : what you *know* you'll do.
> >
> > So sayeth a wise man.
>
> Yeah, but!
>
Colin, check October issue of Cycling +, page 62 (and other articles) you might find "inspiration"
in there. Colin N.