The Historic Racers Cycling Thread

[delta]

Attachment 63438
Here she is. Just waiting for my special shoes to arrive before I can try her.
Mike would be well impressed.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by delta

Attachment 63438

Here she is. Just waiting for my special shoes to arrive before I can try her.

Mike would be well impressed.

Oh that's very nice.

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[Alan Morgan]

It is Max. I sold it with a heavy heart to help finance my new build. I took it out for its last ride in my ownership a couple of weeks ago. A lap of the Isle of Wight - 100km and 1500m of climbing and it performed faultlessly.

Iain's going to love it.

[Peter Mallett]

Hmm, I have a loong way to go to catch you lot. But with this covid thing and the need to keep active I've taken the plunge. I too need new shoes and cleated pedals but I took the straps off the current pedals so can ride it with my size 10 trainers. Not a purist's bike but a Boardman SLR 8.9c all carbon with Shimano 105 chainset. Will give it a run tomorrow morning.

[Alan Morgan]

That's a nice bike and very good value. One of the guys I ride with has one and it always gets admiring comments. Shimano 105 hits a sweet spot. Riding it is indistinguishable from Ultegra - the only penalty is 200g extra weight. Regarding cleats and pedals - I'd go for SPD pedals. The vast majority of people I ride with use them and when you get to the cafe you don't end up walking like Max Wall. There are plenty of SPD shoes available which are geared towards road cycling rather than MTB.

If Iain's followed my advice he's also bought SPD shoes (I did give him some cleats with the Bianchi) but, as a lifelong rider in trainers, he's going to forget to unclip before too long...

...with hilarious consequences.

[Alan Morgan]

Peter. Just thinking... Would it be worth considering a cycling thread for the forum? It's clearly a subject that is of interest to a number of us and a dedicated thread wouldn't upset those who want to steer clear of anything that doesn't involve hydrocarbons.

[Peter Mallett]

Thanks Alan I shall take your advice. Trouble is, Pat's now constantly talking about lycra body hugging shorts.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

Peter. Just thinking... Would it be worth considering a cycling thread for the forum? It's clearly a subject that is of interest to a number of us and a dedicated thread wouldn't upset those who want to steer clear of anything that doesn't involve hydrocarbons.

Yes, why not? You could start it but it's for us historic members so we need the historic tag.

[Peter Mallett]

These posts are copied from Delta's Twentea-Twentea Break.

[Alan Morgan]

Thanks for starting the thread Peter. As I said in an earlier post, I came to (road) cycling in my sixties and haven't looked back. I cycle with people of all ages and abilities and just have fun. One of the guys I cycle with is 79 and has recently restored the bike he bought new in 1962 - it's beautiful but he doesn't use it on hilly rides... He now rides a nice Bianchi which he's upgraded to Di2 with a climbing-friendly cassette.

If you find a nice group of people to ride with, then just enjoy it and have fun. Who'd have thought that twiddling a couple of pedals round country lanes could be so much fun!

[Tel 911S]

I knew that I should not have mentioned cycles a couple of pages ago .
Look what it has led to .
So , here is a picture of the last time I rode a cycle .



pictures uploader

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

There are plenty of SPD shoes available which are geared towards road cycling rather than MTB.

If Iain's followed my advice he's also bought SPD shoes (I did give him some cleats with the Bianchi) but, as a lifelong rider in trainers, he's going to forget to unclip before too long...

...with hilarious consequences.

I only use Spuds, wouldn't ride in anything else. I've got a pair that could be mistaken for a leisure shoe and I just bought a road race version from Wiggle. Very nice.

I started riding again when lockdown started but my front mech shifter lever has broken so I've not been out lately. Plus work has now exploded, I'm so busy i can't get out I'm delighted to say.

My shifters are Sora, which is as good as anything. It works fine - or at least it used to So maybe it's not fine.

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[E.B]

Originally Posted by delta

Attachment 63438
Here she is. Just waiting for my special shoes to arrive before I can try her.
Mike would be well impressed.

I seem to have inherited one of those Bianchi carbon fibre thingies.... a friend of mine asked me if I could store it for him over a year ago. I have moved house in that time and not heard from him since he dropped it off. Just got it hanging up in the garage with my bike (which Iain knows well and has ridden round Phillip Island!). I have never ridden the Bianchi though. I dont have the special shoes..... and I cant find the start button.

[Alan Morgan]

That's actually an aluminium bike (but with carbon forks) - it's Bianchi's entry level model but still very nice.

[Peter Mallett]

So, new shoes, pedals and cleats ordered. First run this morning and even though I stopped whilst trying to get used to the gear operation still averaged 2km/h faster than on the MTB. Got to also get used to holding my head up because the lay down position is different to the MTB. Steering is a bit different too, currently taking wider turns than previous.

[Alan Morgan]

You could possibly tip your handlbars up slightly Peter - you might find yourself putting too much load on your wrists on a longer ride with them in that position and it will make it easier to hold your head up.

I do like the angular look of those Boardman frames...

[Peter Mallett]

Thanks Alan, I shall take your advice.

[Duddha]

A very nice thread Delta! Some of you may know my addiction to sport and cycling is one of those amongst the swim, bike and run effort. Interestingly, I have found a lot of similar stuff to motorsport with the bike, best one being that if one of your mates tells you it will make you faster, surely you end up buying it!

Have owned and raced quite a few bikes, one of the best was the Look 796 Monoblade Time Trial bike to UCI standards.



I have now switched to Specialized and their S-Works frames for road and Time Trial with the Tarmac SL6 Disc (Red) and Shiv TT Disc (Black) frames for this year, both to UCI standards.

[Alfaholic]

Now that MSV (and hopefully Silverstone at some point) are alowing spectators, and with a return to full time work, my riding will be dropping off a bit. This is the Titanium framed part of my fleet of 7 bikes (the others are a carbon road, aluminium flatbar & a steel 29er).
From right to left - A Spa Elan, Van Nicholas Ventus (with upgrades), flatbar built around an OnOne Pickenflick and a basic Nan Nicholas Ventus SE used as a commuter.

[Peter Mallett]

Dunno about the bikes but that's a great fence.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Dunno about the bikes but that's a great fence.

On a sensible note, not quite as simple, but I don't like craning my neck and crouching down. back in '86 I turned my bars upside down and chopped the bottom ( now top) off . . . . Instant comfort. It wasn't a new idea and no recolection of where I saw it, but its commonplace now. I have a photo somewhere . . . . Will dig it out.

[zefarelly]

Not quite as fast as Louis, I was a month shy of 15, we did a 10 day tour of Norway, including Trollstigen. I really should scan in the rest of the photo's, not that many are very good!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

So, new shoes, pedals and cleats ordered. First run this morning and even though I stopped whilst trying to get used to the gear operation still averaged 2km/h faster than on the MTB. Got to also get used to holding my head up because the lay down position is different to the MTB. Steering is a bit different too, currently taking wider turns than previous.

The Boardman, and I guess all “road/race bikes” looks massively painful for those of us with lower back problems. I understand the aero benefit but I just couldn’t contemplate riding it; something that does put me off, along with traffic.

[Peter Mallett]

I sympathise with you, back pain means very few positions are comfortable including normal sitting. As to the saddle itself, I have found it pretty comfortable (without the lycra and padding) so that is a plus.

Incidentally did you know that there is a government scheme for employees to receive 25% off the purchase of a bike? All to do with the covid get fit thing and keeping off public transport. No good for those who are self employed of course.

[andy97]

Although, I have said (half jokingly) that I don’t see the pleasure in cycling, I do get that many people do enjoy it and I do see the benefits. I do spin classes and Mrs 97 and I went around the East Mids Airport trail on our old MTBs last week so I would do it more but I do have back issues and when I was riding on the roads for my tri training a few years ago I did see the traffic as a big issue.
I did ask Donington Park earlier in the year if they would open up the circuit a couple of evenings a week for cyclists (they did a couple of “cycling/running in the Park” events last year) but they weren’t interested, sadly. I guess that there are security/staff/ insurance implications although Mallory hold regular cycling evenings.
I think that establishing a regular cycling evening around the track, and an MTB trail around the outer environments of the park, could be one way of demonstrating wider value of motor racing venues to the local population. I would be interested in taking part; I even think I could get there without riding on the road for more than about 200m.