Howdy & few newbie questions.

Quoted message said:

Is it better to use a backpack, or fit panniers?

Depends on the sensitivity of your ass....

You can carry a heavier load without discomfort using panniers. If you fall
off, heaven forbid, and you have some hard objects in your back pack, you
could do greater damage to yourself than if you had them in a pannier.
I regularly use a Camelback Mule but only carry water and clothing in it.
The 'hard stuff' goes in a pannier or saddle bag.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get a helmet, Anything to look out for?

The endless pro/anti helmet arguments that spring up at the slightest
provocation :-)

Quoted message said:

Lidl/Aldi and tesco often have cycle gear - would some of this be ok?

All of my cycling tops, winter gloves and jackets have some from Aldi. They
are incredible value for money and do the business well.

Quoted message said:

The bike seems to have problems with it's front derailer index shifter.
ATM it will only index shift into the two smaller spockets, I've tried
adjustments but still haven't got it work, could this be caused by cable
stretch?

That is a possibility.

Quoted message said:

I'm sure I've got other things to ask.. (i.e. how the hell do index
gears work?) I'll post as these come to me!

Indexing is determined by the shifter moving the cable exactly the right
amount per click to change one gear up or down. The shifters are matched to
the derailleurs i.e. seven speed shifters match a seven speed block. This
is a simplistic explanation - other posters may offer a more detailed
explanation.

I remember having a three speed derraileur on a Sun bike and thought that it
was the mutts nuts when I was a lad - I wonder how many gears from the 10
speed block could be fitted in the three speed spacing?.....

On Sun, 20 Mar 2005 18:08:50 GMT, Kinesin
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Due to a company move I'm now planning to commute on my bike to work :-)

Hurrah!

Quoted message said:

So I'am after those hints and tips to make it easier.
As a note due to night school and gym I already tend to take a change of
clothes and leave my shoes/trouser at work etc.

I do that too. Clean shirt in the bag every day, clean trousers once
a week. Works well enough.

Quoted message said:

When I used to ride it was always dry and I just wore t-shirt and
shorts, but having to ride everyday means I'll need something more
practical. I was hoping to find a group FAQ, but have missed it so far.. so:
What does one wear for commuting?

Whatever works. I wear the usual lycra and cycling kit, with
cycling-specific waterproofs (God knows why, they are designed for
someone the other way up from me). I find that "proper" kit gets you
there warmer, dryer, less sweaty and generally fresher. That said,
there's nothing wrong with slowing down and wearing ordinary clothes.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to fit slicks, it's approx 8miles each way and we have
showers, so I'm very tempted to push the speed up.

Ideal! My old commute was about that. Perfect for keeping the lard
off, not too far to manage in the pissing rain in January.

Quoted message said:

Is it better to use a backpack, or fit panniers?

Panniers, I'd say. Good ones if you intend to commute year-round.
Backpacks tend to upset your balance more than panniers do.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get a helmet, Anything to look out for?

Ahem. Moving rapidly on...

Quoted message said:

Anywhere online recommended? - I've found wiggle, and I've seen mention
of ride one bikes, but can't find an address.

Wiggle are good, so are Settle Cycles, Edinburgh Bike Co-Op and plenty
of others. But if you want a plastic hat that fits I recommend the
local bike shop, because you can try them on until you get one the
same shape as your head.

Quoted message said:

Lidl/Aldi and tesco often have cycle gear - would some of this be ok?

Highly rated by many urcers :-)

Quoted message said:

The bike seems to have problems with it's front derailer index shifter.
ATM it will only index shift into the two smaller spockets, I've tried
adjustments but still haven't got it work, could this be caused by cable
stretch?

Sounds like it just wants adjusting. Call it cable stretch if you
like, but no biggie anyway. The Shimano website has some good service
instruction leaflets as PDF.

Quoted message said:

On the slick front I'm looking at city jets, but would like the
Vredestein S-Licks in yellow to go with the frame/seat. The cost is high
imo, and I'm not sure if i cam justify the cost. Any other yellow/orange
slicks available?

I'd say the City Jets are better tyres, but that's mainly because I
don't like the Vredesteins much. We fitted Marathons to my wife's
commuter and they seem damned good, I commuted on s'Licks for a while
but switched to Stelvios and much preferred them. But I ride like a
nutter. I have Panaracer Paselas on my tourer and the triplet and
they seem good too. Actually very good, since the ones on the triplet
stand up to some serious weight and we hit more potholes than a more
manoeuvrable bike would.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Quoted message said:

Is it better to use a backpack, or fit panniers?

Panniers are way-way better. Cheap and cheerful do the job, but extra
feaures you might want are are easy-peasy off and on and 100% utterly-
totally waterproof. Oh, and sidepockets too.

Quoted message said:

I'm going to get a helmet, Anything to look out for?

The fit. Get one whose moulded polystyrene thingy matches your head best.
I'm not convinced that the resizing band mechanism thingies are as good as
a helmet that fits in the first place.

Make sure that when fitted it can't be pushed forwards over your face or
backwards off of your head.

The protective standard they are made to isn't particularly high -they're
for preventing/lessening minor injuries- so price = more vents (i.e.
comfort) rather than protection. This means you only have to consider fit
and looks + vents.

vernon levy wrote:
If you fall

Quoted message said:

off, heaven forbid, and you have some hard objects in your back pack, you
could do greater damage to yourself than if you had them in a pannier.

You also may get your backpack straps cut by the paramedics attending,
and they're a pain to fix again after that :-)

R.