that old chestnut

Dave said:

Hello,

Hey!

Quoted message said:

I want to buy a new bike (you can see where this is going, im ever
so sorry)

**snip**

Quoted message said:

i currently ride a gt rts3 with slicks and downhill handle bars wide
flatish things, i reckon i;ve done about 6000 miles on it.

What don't you like about your existing bike?

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck

Dave said:

the bike i was looking at was the carrera subway 8 but i've read
about poor braking performance from the hubs? some bloke boiled the
grease. i want good brakes as i do break 30mph occasionally
(downhill with a 32mph tailwind).

I recently took delivery of a Ridgeback Nemesis[1]. I commute daily
down a steep hill in traffic - if the traffic isn't jammed I keep up
with it at speeds up to 30mph. No problems with the brakes (so far).

You don't lose braking in the wet (though your tyres will still skid),
and you don't have the turn or so of the wheel during which water is
being wiped off before the brakes really start to bite.

One thing you won't want to do is remove a rear wheel fitted with
Shimano Inter-8 hubs on the road. If I get a puncture, I'll want to
find somewhere dry (why is it always raining?) pull the tube out and
slap a patch on.

To remove the wheel, undo two fiddly clips for the brake and gear
cables, undo a nut and large Phillips head bolt on the brake stay -
the screw is only accessible through the wheel, then undo two 15mm
nuts (make sure you have a big enough spanner - the one on my
multi-tool is not long enough to get any decent torque). Replacing the
clips, especially the gear one, is even more fiddly.

It comes with Continental Contact Sport tyres - on the previous bike I
was using Schwalbe Marathon pluses, with which I was very impressed -
no punctures in a very long time. It's too early yet to say how
puncture-proof the Continentals will be.

The gearing has a lower range than a 3x8 derailleur - I had the normal
21T rear sprocket replaced with a 23T one - I still lose a gear at the
bottom end and several gears at the top, but I'll willingly sacrifice
top speed to being able to get up the steep hills on my way in to
work.

[1] http://www.ridgeback.co.uk/index.php?bikeID=546&seriesID=42&show_bike=TRUE

--
Alan J. Wylie http://www.wylie.me.uk/
"Perfection [in design] is achieved not when there is nothing left to add,
but rather when there is nothing left to take away."
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

flatish things, i reckon i;ve done about 6000 miles on it.

What don't you like about your existing bike?

Chris

Hi Chris, the bike needs a bit of work, nothing that couldnt be sorted
(seat,bearings, bottom bracket, there some misalignment at the back)
but the frame is a bit small, its 17.5" and ive gotten away with it by
having the seat right up and the long reach bars also the pedals seem
to have a long stroke.

so i figure with what you can get for your money now it might be nice
to have a suspensionless one for the jaunt to work and around town.
light and strong enough to take abit of off road.

Dave

thanks for that Alan, it looks nice,
is almost twice the price of the subway 8 tho, what do you get for the
money?
also is it possible to fit an aftermarket chain guard? (cool huh?)

Dave

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Hello,

Quoted message said:

I want to buy a new bike (you can see where this is going, im ever so
sorry)

<snip hub brakes, commuter bike stuff>

I'd go for V brakes and hub dynamos for a commuter bike, discs would improve
mud ability (Shimano & Magura are the best IMO), but obviously also increase
nickability. Hub brakes can be dodgy: look on google groups for "Roller
brake high speed performance."

I'd be tempted by an Inbred with big mudguards but that's me. Maybe a Kona
Smoke?

Quoted message said:

I'd go for V brakes and hub dynamos for a commuter bike, discs would improve
mud ability (Shimano & Magura are the best IMO), but obviously also increase
nickability. Hub brakes can be dodgy: look on google groups for "Roller
brake high speed performance."

I'd be tempted by an Inbred with big mudguards but that's me. Maybe a Kona
Smoke?

thanks Doki, i checked out the smoke, looks alright, "Extras: Fenders
with mudflaps & mystery horn" mystery horn? is that similar to riding
the bus and ripening a travellers marrow?

Doki said:

I'd go for V brakes and hub dynamos for a commuter bike, discs would
improve mud ability (Shimano & Magura are the best IMO), but obviously
also increase nickability. Hub brakes can be dodgy: look on google
groups for "Roller brake high speed performance."

Well, of course I wouldn't want to gainsay the might of Google Groups,
but I have hub brakes on both wheels of my commuter and I have quite a
respectable hill to go down in the morning (Liberton Brae). I have yet
to have any problems stopping for the lights at the bottom.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

Don Whybrow said:

I have quite a
respectable hill to go down in the morning (Liberton Brae).

You cycle back up libby brae after a working day? Kudos.
--
www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

soup said:

Don Whybrow said:

I have quite a respectable hill to go down in the morning (Liberton
Brae).

You cycle back up libby brae after a working day? Kudos.

It helps to remove the daily adrenaline build up. Sometimes I take Kirk
Brae if I am looking for the short sharp hit.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

You guys got something against spam? (Vriess, in _Alien 4_)

"Don Whybrow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doki said:

I'd go for V brakes and hub dynamos for a commuter bike, discs would
improve mud ability (Shimano & Magura are the best IMO), but obviously
also increase nickability. Hub brakes can be dodgy: look on google groups
for "Roller brake high speed performance."

Well, of course I wouldn't want to gainsay the might of Google Groups, but
I have hub brakes on both wheels of my commuter and I have quite a
respectable hill to go down in the morning (Liberton Brae). I have yet to
have any problems stopping for the lights at the bottom.

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't be
happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no matter how rare
it is, particularly when other reliable systems are available. Faceplants
aren't nice.

Doki wrote on 07/01/2007 23:45 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't be
happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no matter how
rare it is, particularly when other reliable systems are available.
Faceplants aren't nice.

OTOH rim brakes are not without their problems. Poorer performance in
wet weather, susceptible to worn rim failures and overheating on
downhills, can ice over in cold weather leading to complete loss of
braking etc etc.

--
Tony

"...has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least
wildly inaccurate..."
Douglas Adams; The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Doki wrote on 07/01/2007 23:45 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't be
happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no matter how
rare it is, particularly when other reliable systems are available.
Faceplants aren't nice.

OTOH rim brakes are not without their problems. Poorer performance in wet
weather, susceptible to worn rim failures and overheating on downhills,
can ice over in cold weather leading to complete loss of braking etc etc.

Yet to have overheating on downhills despite being a big bloke who goes
mountain biking. Worn rims are cured by rim grooves to show you when your
rim's on the way out, although I suppose icing over is a possibility.

Tony Raven said:

Doki wrote on 07/01/2007 23:45 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't
be happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no matter
how rare it is, particularly when other reliable systems are
available. Faceplants aren't nice.

OTOH rim brakes are not without their problems. Poorer performance in
wet weather, susceptible to worn rim failures and overheating on
downhills, can ice over in cold weather leading to complete loss of
braking etc etc.

.... and there are problems with disks as well. You have to make sure to
keep the surface clean, improperly set up hydraulic systems can get air
bubbles degrading the performance and your wheel could pop out of the
drop-outs under heavy loads. No system is perfect, but for maintenance
free hassle on a utility machine, hubs get my vote. If I was looking at
a road bike I would opt for one of the rim systems, for MTB, probably
hydraulic disks. Horses for courses.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

"There is a wicked pretense that one has been informed. But no such
thing has truly occurred! A mere slogan, an empty litany. No arguments
are heard, no evidence is weighed. It isn't news at all, only a source
of amusement for idlers." (Gibson-Sterling, The Difference Engine)

"Don Whybrow" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tony Raven said:

Doki wrote on 07/01/2007 23:45 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't be
happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no matter how
rare it is, particularly when other reliable systems are available.
Faceplants aren't nice.

OTOH rim brakes are not without their problems. Poorer performance in
wet weather, susceptible to worn rim failures and overheating on
downhills, can ice over in cold weather leading to complete loss of
braking etc etc.

... and there are problems with disks as well. You have to make sure to
keep the surface clean, improperly set up hydraulic systems can get air
bubbles degrading the performance

You don't have to clean brake disks. Any decent disk is slotted and waved so
that the pad constantly wipes the disk clean. You do have to avoid getting
grease and oil on the disk. Bleeding the brakes is something that you need
to do once in a blue moon, as evidenced by the number of cars with hydraulic
disk brakes that go 10 years without having their brakes bled without
falling off the road.

Quoted message said:

and your wheel could pop out of the drop-outs under heavy loads.

Fix it with a decent QR and proper drop outs.

Quoted message said:

No system is perfect, but for maintenance free hassle on a utility
machine, hubs get my vote. If I was looking at a road bike I would opt for
one of the rim systems, for MTB, probably hydraulic disks. Horses for
courses.

Doki said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't
be happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no
matter how rare it is,

Like my v-brakes did on Friday when the rim disintgrated and wrapped itself
around the brakes stopping the rear wheel instantly.

pk

In article <[email hidden]>, p.k.
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Doki said:

Well, there's the mighty Sheldon to contend with too. TBH I wouldn't
be happy using any braking system that can lock up suddenly, no
matter how rare it is,

Like my v-brakes did on Friday when the rim disintgrated and wrapped itself
around the brakes stopping the rear wheel instantly.

That's an example of poor maintenance, not an inherent design flaw.

Doki said:

Yet to have overheating on downhills despite being a big bloke who goes
mountain biking. Worn rims are cured by rim grooves to show you when your
rim's on the way out, although I suppose icing over is a possibility.

Rim groves don't 'cure' a worn rim, they warn you that you need to throw it
in the bin.

Anthony

Dave said:

Hello,

I want to buy a new bike (you can see where this is going, im ever so
sorry)

[snip, requirements]

Quoted message said:

the bike i was looking at was the carrera subway 8 but i've read about
poor braking performance from the hubs? some bloke boiled the grease. i
want good brakes as i do break 30mph occasionally
(downhill with a 32mph tailwind).

The Subway-8 frame has mounts for disc brakes, but I'm happy with the
hub brakes for commuting. (I do have other bikes with disc and caliper
brakes.) I've had mine for about 3 years. The main changes I've made,
were to fit my favourite pedals and replace the puny handlebar with
one from the spares box. I also lowered the gear ratios to make hill
climbing less knee cracking. I haven't looked at the components on
the current Subway-8, so don't know how they compare. Someday I will
replace the hub with a combined hub brake and dynamo.

--
Jan

Don Whybrow said:

... and there are problems with disks as well. You have to make sure to
keep the surface clean, improperly set up hydraulic systems can get air
bubbles degrading the performance and your wheel could pop out of the
drop-outs under heavy loads.

Not that [censored] about wheels popping out due to disk brakes, please. A
few idiots failed to work out how a QR works and they start blaming the
positioning of the disk brakes.

laters,

Marz