Re: Apollo CX 10S. What do you think?

[John Hearns]

On Sat, 2008-02-16 at 12:17 -0800, salmon wrote:
> Just wanted to get opinions on the Apollo CX 10S bike. I bought one
> but have been reading some of the earlier posts which don't seem to
> rate Apollo very highly.

ps. my two pence worth for enjoying cycling.
Pump the tyres up very hard - soft and squidgy tyres mean much more
effort in pushing the bike along. You want a bike with zip and zing.
Also stops punctures.
The sort of cheapo bike pumps with the tartan rubber adapters like your
grandad had really don't cut it these days. Put your head round the door
of a local bike shop and ask to use their "track pump" - this is a floor
standing pump you pump with your arms. The tyres should be very hard -
pumped up to a lot higher pressure than car tyres - but pay attention to
the pressure markings on the sidewalls.

While you're in the local bike shop, pick up a decent pump and some
sticky patches. Things again have moved on since grandads day - Park and
other makers make highly sticky inner tube patches which act just like
plasters. No need to fool around with rubber solution at the side of the
road. Another good tip is to buy and carry a spare inner tube - again if
you get a puncture you just change the tube and continue on.

If you know it, the Decathlon store at Canada Water has dirt-cheap inner
tubes and plenty of other accessories, well worth a look in if you are
near there.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <1203240170.8794.24.camel@Vigor13>, John Hearns
[email protected]am says...
> On Sat, 2008-02-16 at 12:17 -0800, salmon wrote:
> > Just wanted to get opinions on the Apollo CX 10S bike. I bought one
> > but have been reading some of the earlier posts which don't seem to
> > rate Apollo very highly.
>
> ps. my two pence worth for enjoying cycling.
> Pump the tyres up very hard - soft and squidgy tyres mean much more
> effort in pushing the bike along. You want a bike with zip and zing.
> Also stops punctures.

/nothing/ stops punctures in pneumatic bicycle tyres (at least any tyres
that are worth riding in normal use). Some things make them less
likely.

> The sort of cheapo bike pumps with the tartan rubber adapters like your
> grandad had really don't cut it these days.

If he got the cheap package deal on this bike then he already has a
reasonable pump.

 

[salmon]

Thanks everyone, seems like I haven't bought a turkey after all.

John Hearns. I am already a member of the Edmonton Cycle club who are
in some way connected to the LCC. I'm hoping to be a bit more active
this year and join in on more of the rides.

I regularly ride the Lee Cycle path which is only a mile or so from
where I live. It's a terrific ride mid-week when I usually have it all
to myself. Trouble is I just can't resist the blackberries near the
Picketts Lock in late july through August.

Regarding the tyres, I have an electric pump for that and a little
handheld for my travels.

Have had a good look over the bike and everything looks/feels quite
sound apart from a minor adjustment to the Derailleurs.

Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

 

[salmon]

Just a couple of minor things though if anyone can help.

The brakes appear to grab a bit and it seems to be due to play in the
brake calipers. Should there be play, if so how much? They are V
brakes.

Also how to adjust the height of the handlebar stem. I can loosen the
allen screw in the top for direction setting, does this allow one to
adjust the height also or is that governed by the large nut on the
stem tube?

Oh! and just one more thing, I feel I want the saddle to be slightly
further back. Is it OK to adjust the saddle mounting bolts (just
underneath the saddle) or are they set for optimium safety?

 

[Ben C]

On 2008-02-17, salmon <[email protected]> wrote:
> Just a couple of minor things though if anyone can help.
>
> The brakes appear to grab a bit and it seems to be due to play in the
> brake calipers. Should there be play, if so how much? They are V
> brakes.
>
> Also how to adjust the height of the handlebar stem. I can loosen the
> allen screw in the top for direction setting, does this allow one to
> adjust the height also or is that governed by the large nut on the
> stem tube?

Given that you have a large nut on the stem tube it sounds like you have
the old-style quill stem, which means the nut on the top does let you
adjust the height. Don't undo the allen key more than necessary or the
wedge thing at the bottom might drop off, and don't pull the stem up too
far. It should have some short vertical lines engraved around it to show
the maximum safe amount you can have it protruding from the steerer.

> Oh! and just one more thing, I feel I want the saddle to be slightly
> further back. Is it OK to adjust the saddle mounting bolts (just
> underneath the saddle) or are they set for optimium safety?

No you can adjust that, should be fine.

 

[Simon Brooke]

salmon wrote:

> Just a couple of minor things though if anyone can help.
>
> The brakes appear to grab a bit and it seems to be due to play in the
> brake calipers. Should there be play, if so how much? They are V
> brakes.

What do you mean by play? The bushes on which the arms swivel should not be
loose on the pins on which they swivel. The arms will twist a little under
braking forces - even the best ones do - but it must be imperceptible,
otherwise the brakes will grab. But if you mean the pads sit about a
millimetre back from the rims until you squeeze the lever, then yes, that's
normal and desirable.

>
> Also how to adjust the height of the handlebar stem. I can loosen the
> allen screw in the top for direction setting

No, you can't. There are two sorts - the modern threadless headset type,
where the stem clamps round the outside of the steerer tube, and the old
fashioned threaded headset type where the stem bends through a sharp angle
and goes down inside the steerer tube. In neither type is it safe to just
loosen the allen key on the top and mess, unless you know what you're
doing.

The modern kind cannot be adjusted for height except by moving spacers from
below the stem to above or vice versa, or by changing the stem for one with
a different angle.

I'm not clear from your description which type your bike has.

> , does this allow one to
> adjust the height also or is that governed by the large nut on the
> stem tube?
>
> Oh! and just one more thing, I feel I want the saddle to be slightly
> further back. Is it OK to adjust the saddle mounting bolts (just
> underneath the saddle) or are they set for optimium safety?

Yes, you can (and should) adjust your saddle position for comfort.
Obviously, tighten them up again afterwards.


--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
.::;===r==\
/ /___||___\____
//==\- ||- | /__\( MS Windows IS an operating environment.
//____\__||___|_// \|: C++ IS an object oriented programming language.
\__/ ~~~~~~~~~ \__/ Citroen 2cv6 IS a four door family saloon.

 

[Rob Morley]

In article <bef26784-633c-4a49-b73f-037ae49215b5@
34g2000hsz.googlegroups.com>, salmon
[email protected] says...
> Just a couple of minor things though if anyone can help.
>
> The brakes appear to grab a bit and it seems to be due to play in the
> brake calipers. Should there be play, if so how much? They are V
> brakes.

There's usually a bit of play, both slack in the pivot and flex in the
arm/block. It's normal to set the brake blocks with a bit of toe-in, so
the front of the block contacts the rim before the back does - that way
the play is taken up when the brake is applied, and the blocks sit flat
on the rim under maximum braking force. Make sure the blocks do sit
flat on the rim when the brakes are pulled on hard, that they don't hang
over the edge of the rim and that they don't touch the tyre at any
point. Check occasionally as they wear, and adjust as necessary. Also
make sure you can't pull the brake levers all the way to the handlebars.
>
> Also how to adjust the height of the handlebar stem. I can loosen the
> allen screw in the top for direction setting, does this allow one to
> adjust the height also or is that governed by the large nut on the
> stem tube?

The expander bolt in the middle of the stem is the one you need. Undo
it a few turns (not too much - you don't want to release it from the
stem) then tap it down to release the wedge inside - that will allow you
to raise the stem. When you've retightened the expander bolt give the
bars a good hard twist to make sure they're not going to move when you
hit a bump. There is a height limit mark on the stem, which should not
be exceeded. The large nut around the base of the stem adjusts the
headset (steering bearings).
>
> Oh! and just one more thing, I feel I want the saddle to be slightly
> further back. Is it OK to adjust the saddle mounting bolts (just
> underneath the saddle) or are they set for optimium safety?
>
The saddle rails allow adjustment, just slacken the clamping bolt(s),
slide the saddle where you want it, and retighten the bolt(s) firmly.

 

[salmon]

Thanks very much for your help and suggestions. I think I've got it
all sorted now.