“Watch out for Bikes”

“Cyclists, watch out for this sign”

I think they should put a sign in the middle of the road saying “Watch out for Cars”

• Crazy Bike Lanes

The Colnago Primavera is Colnago’s lowest spec bike. Aware of their reputation, Colnago, don’t want to compromise their reputation by offering cheap, low spec bikes. Built around a 6000 Aluminium Series tubing; it also comes with a carbon fork and aluminimum steerer.

• Groupset - Shimano 105
• Wheelset - Mavic Aksium
• Sloping downtube

At over £1,100 the Colnago Primavera offers good value on the basic spec. The feel of the ride is good and comes with Colnago’s customary good finish and road handling abilities.

Other Road Bikes for similar spec may squeeze under £1,000, but they don’t have the allure of owning a Colnago, one of the most famous names in cycling.

Colnago Primavera 2008 at evanscycles.com

Colnago Road Bikes at evanscycles.com

• Colnago Road Bikes
• Road Bikes under £1,000

The Dawes Galaxy touring bike, is Dawes flagship bike, which has been in production since the early 1990s.

The Dawes Super Galaxy

• Frame: Reynolds 853 chromoly, tig welded
• Gears: Shimano Deore 27 speed
• Fork: Double butted chromoly
• Tech: Weight: 13.7kg
• Saddle: Selle Italia FLX gel
• Touring Extras: Chromoplastic mudguards with stainless safety stays,
• Tubus Cargo rear carrier

Continue reading →

Dawes bikes is a British Cycling firm, who have been producing road bikes for many years. They are one of the market leaders in touring bikes. Originally made in the UK near Birmingham, the frames are now made in the Far East (like many other bike manufactures)

The Dawes Giro Road bike series is aimed at the entry level road bike and serious leisure cyclist. They are based on Aluminium frames and different types of Shimano groupset.

Dawes Giro 300

Frame: Lightweight aluminium
Gears: Shimano Sora STI equipped
Weight: 11.5 kg

Continue reading →

Mavic have a well deserved reputation in wheel building. The Aksium is their budget range, but perform well for their relatively low price of £130.

The rims are aluminium and spokes are steel.

There are 24 spokes on rear and 20 spokes on front.

Weight of Mavic Aksium

• Front: 920g
• Rear: 1060g

If your looking to save every possible gram then Mavic Aksium is not for you. (for example, the Mavic Kyrsium are nearly 500 grams lighter, but double the price.

• Mavic Aksium at Wiggle.co.uk
• Mavic Wheels
• Mavic Aksium at Probikekit

Cycling gloves are an invaluable aid for rides longer than 1-2 hours. They are not really to keep hands warm, but, protect hands from the constant impact upon the bars.

Gloves vary in thickness of padding. If you are a tourer, look for those with extra padding (probably be more expensive)

Also make sure you get a size big enough. My current size are large, but, still to small; they become uncomfortable after long ride.

Cycling Gloves at Probikekit

One of the best quality gloves are the Castelli Pro Mitts

If you are looking to reduce weight on your bike or make it more aerodynamic, you might want to cut carbon fibre equipment. For example, some time trial bar tubes may be too long. Cutting ends of off, may save the odd second.

How To Cut Carbon Fibre?

• It is not easy to cut carbon fibre. But, your best bet is a fine hacksaw blade, which should cut through the equipment.
• The trick is not to exert a lot of pressue, like you might cutting wood. If you exert a lot of pressure, the carbon fibre can crack. Let the blade do the work, not your force.
• Note: Cutting carbon fibre will emit carbon dust, which is bad for your health. Use a safety breathing mask. Might also be worth having vacuum cleaner on near the cutting equipment.
• To file carbon fibre, use glass paper.

The frame of a bike performs several functions:

• Supports rider in position to ride
• Converts rider’s effort into forward movement
• Provide mounting point for various component parts
• Absorbs much of the shock of riding.

A Good Frame has the following features:

• Stiffness - to withstand the twisting and buckling forces induced by hard pedalling
• Lightness - Lower weight makes it easier to cycle up hill. Light weight frames need also to have stiffness to combine strength
• Shock absorbency - to minimize shock damage from road surfaces
• Resilience to withstand reasonable impacts
• Heat resistence to permit strong, safe joints by brazing or welding
• Aerodynamic.

Related

• Best bike frame materials
• Road bike frame size

Adult MTB (26″ Wheels) Sizing Chart

26″ wheel sized mountain bikes are suitable for all other 11 years. For children less than 11, look for smaller sized mountain bikes.

Generally, Mountain Bike frame sizes are 2- 2and half inches smaller than road bike frame sizes

Size Guide for Mountain Bike Frame Size

Mountain Bikes at Evans Cycles

Chain Reaction Cycles is one of Europe’s leading online cycle stores.

It has an extensive range of accessories and bike parts. The size of the shop enable bargain prices and it is a good place to buy replacement parts.

Chain reaction cycles also offer a wide range of complete bikes from:

Carbon fibre road bikes to commuting and bmx bikes.

www.ChainReactionCycles.com