Cycling - NLC

[scott_e]

2012 Trek Madone 3.5 - this being the H2 version, it will feel more upright than the other bikes I think?
Ive been told it is a super comfy bike!

Thanks Phil , I had read the 3.5 is a comfy good all-rounder too suitable for daily use , that is important.

[scott_e]

Sorry to post again. Putting down deposit tomorrow and just wanted to pick a brain before hand if pos. Thanks scott

Hi sorry. Curve ball. HELP !

Popped into my local shop to pick up my mountain bike after repairs and found a 2012 Madone 3.5 which I thought were sold out.



Dont know what to pick now:

----------------------------------------------
2013 Focus Izalco Pro 3.0
Pedals
Continental Gator Hardshell 23mm
SRAM Force
52" (yip im that short )
£2100
Same frame as team bike (" For the price you're getting exactly the same frame as the £5,799 team bike, so this Izalco can be upgraded to your heart’s content ) "
6 year frame warrenty
----------------------------------------------

OR

----------------------------------------------
2012 Trek Madone 3.5
Pedals
Continental Gator Hardshell 23mm
Shimano Ultegra
52"
£1500
(test ride tomorrow)
OVLC 300 frame
Lifetime frame warranty im told ?
----------------------------------------------

Both cycles appears on BikeRadars bike of the year 2012 list.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/arti ... ear-33391/

Quality of frame is important ... but worth paying extra £600.
Used for "competitive" commuting mostly.

Help ! thoughts please ???

Scott

[111Robin]

What is the feedback on turbo trainers. As holly and I will both have bikes we have been talking about getting one for the sh*t weather in an effort to keep a reasonable level of fitness. Are they worth the cash? Whats the differences between spending £100 quid on one and £1300 on one i.e. is it dont touch the low end and go for mid range or does it matter? Are they noisy? Are they beneficial? Is it likely to be used? Etc. any feedback on your experience would be appreciated.

Scott, I would recommend using a turbo trainer but to get the most out of it you need to train using either heart rate or preferably power output, enabling you to work in the correct training zones. If you just sit on it and spin away with no specific targets you won't gain anyhting and will soon get fed up with it. Don't spend big bucks on anyhting with internet connectivity or fancy video capability, to me these are just gimmicks to make it seem less boring. Any video and loud music are enough to take the edge off the boredom. The important thing is to focus on the correct training zones. Check my previous post regarding the TrainerRoad software. £6/month subscription and you have access to hundreds of structured workouts and training plans to suit most needs. You just need a standard turbo (eg. Tacx Satori or similar), an ANT+ USB stick, heart rate monitor and a speed/cadence sensor. None of these cost very much. This enable you to work with "virtual power" measurement. You then do a test workout to set your FTP (functional threshold power, basically the max power you can sustain for an hour) then all subsequent workouts are based on your own FTP figure and will ensure you are working in the correct zones. Maybe this all sounds OTT but without a structured training programme like this most turbos end up stuck in a cupboard (talking from personal experience, this is my second go at using a turbo, first time ended quickly as I lost interest as I was just sitting spinning away aimlessly). I've been on my current trainer now for 2 months, 5 nights/week and haven't lost interest yet. Looking forward to reaping the gains come springtime.
(PS. Get a big fan, you'll need it!!)

Robin

[PhilA]

Sorry to post again. Putting down deposit tomorrow and just wanted to pick a brain before hand if pos. Thanks scott

Hi sorry. Curve ball. HELP !

Popped into my local shop to pick up my mountain bike after repairs and found a 2012 Madone 3.5 which I thought were sold out.



Dont know what to pick now:

----------------------------------------------
2013 Focus Izalco Pro 3.0
Pedals
Continental Gator Hardshell 23mm
SRAM Force
52" (yip im that short )
£2100
Same frame as team bike (" For the price you're getting exactly the same frame as the £5,799 team bike, so this Izalco can be upgraded to your heart’s content ) "
6 year frame warrenty
----------------------------------------------

OR

----------------------------------------------
2012 Trek Madone 3.5
Pedals
Continental Gator Hardshell 23mm
Shimano Ultegra
52"
£1500
(test ride tomorrow)
OVLC 300 frame
Lifetime frame warranty im told ?
----------------------------------------------

Both cycles appears on BikeRadars bike of the year 2012 list.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/arti ... ear-33391/

Quality of frame is important ... but worth paying extra £600.
Used for "competitive" commuting mostly.

Help ! thoughts please ???

Scott

Of the two, the Trek is the one id go for as I prefer more upright cruising, im not very flexible.
Im looking at getting a Specialized Roubaix.
But, you are a fit and powerful guy, so see what takes ur fancy - both great bikes, so its about what YOU enjoy riding. You cant fail if you ride it lots and enjoy it
Good luck and enjoy the test ride!

[PhilA]

Scott, I was speaking to someone in another office - hes into his cycling, and a lil older too
I was saying I was looking at the Giant Defy, Trek Madone, and Specialized Roubaix.
He said the Giant is the better bike according to reviews, however he has had a ride on one of his friends Madone and he said it was extremely comfy.
So, you might like it, or might prefer the more traditional setup - ull know within a wee bit of the test ride

[scott_e]

Scott, I was speaking to someone in another office - hes into his cycling, and a lil older too
I was saying I was looking at the Giant Defy, Trek Madone, and Specialized Roubaix.
He said the Giant is the better bike according to reviews, however he has had a ride on one of his friends Madone and he said it was extremely comfy.
So, you might like it, or might prefer the more traditional setup - ull know within a wee bit of the test ride

Thanks again Phil. Chris is looking at the Defy 1 , best road bike you can get under £1000 according to the press. Thanks for the feedback on the Madone too , I think the Focus styling looks a little better with the cables hidden in the frame. The full SRAM FORCE is a plus too versus the Ultegra shifters and 105 brakes on the Madone. But worth an extra £600 for my daily commute ... doubt i would notice the difference.

[PhilA]

aye, hidden cables are nice - thats like on the Roubaix SL frame - but the standard frame only hides 1 or 2 cables.
Dunno if SRAM is much better than Ultegra as they are pretty awesome

We all notice the difference, but its all about what u wanna ride

Me, id love an SWorks Roubaix... but my budget means i go down the tree a lil... however, at the end of the day (bingo!) its what ull like to ride
So neither choice would be wrong if your happy.
If you can afford the £600 more, and ur liking its ride and it makes u excited to get it - then thats worth it maybe?

I am also trying to persuade myself to get the bike i really wanna get... lol

[scott_e]

Deposit down on the Madone, pick it up Saturday just waiting for some Kevlar tyres Cheers for all the help.

[Lazydonkey]

What is the feedback on turbo trainers. As holly and I will both have bikes we have been talking about getting one for the sh*t weather in an effort to keep a reasonable level of fitness. Are they worth the cash? Whats the differences between spending £100 quid on one and £1300 on one i.e. is it dont touch the low end and go for mid range or does it matter? Are they noisy? Are they beneficial? Is it likely to be used? Etc. any feedback on your experience would be appreciated.

The hardest bit about this time of year is actually leaving the house - once you're out it is really enjoyable.

Dom and i did 17 ish miles last night and both agreed that had we been on a turbo trainer we'd have got off after 10 miles max......but as we were out we had to cycle back. Even if it's howling a gail and lashing it down, so long as you have the right kit it's not too bad.....and you get to feel smug as hell when you get back in You're welcome to come out with us if you want

Personally speaking i really struggle to use gym bikes or other cardio equipment as i get bored really quickly and for that reason i can't see a turbo trainer working for me.

[Dominic]

What is the feedback on turbo trainers. As holly and I will both have bikes we have been talking about getting one for the sh*t weather in an effort to keep a reasonable level of fitness. Are they worth the cash? Whats the differences between spending £100 quid on one and £1300 on one i.e. is it dont touch the low end and go for mid range or does it matter? Are they noisy? Are they beneficial? Is it likely to be used? Etc. any feedback on your experience would be appreciated.

The hardest bit about this time of year is actually leaving the house - once you're out it is really enjoyable.

Dom and i did 17 ish miles last night and both agreed that had we been on a turbo trainer we'd have got off after 10 miles max......but as we were out we had to cycle back. Even if it's howling a gail and lashing it down, so long as you have the right kit it's not too bad.....and you get to feel smug as hell when you get back in You're welcome to come out with us if you want

Personally speaking i really struggle to use gym bikes or other cardio equipment as i get bored really quickly and for that reason i can't see a turbo trainer working for me.

Wot he said!

[Gareth]

Rain and cold is fine, you can dress for it...it's the bloody wind that ruins it.

[scott_e]

Wind is fine , 28.7mph headwind last week on the way in.
Rain is fine with the correct clothing and rear mudguard.
Its the damn ice they does me in . Keep falling off or having to take so much care the commute is very slow !

[Lazydonkey]

Oh forgot about the ice... Yeah the ice sucks.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[Sanjøy]

I would ride them all as all bikes like humans are different. I got measured up first, cannot find the file of all the measurements but lets just say you get to know the guy pretty well. I then looked at bikes he suggested that would fit me while meeting my criteria. There were options to adapt with spacers on the bars etc so I would be comfortable. You could buy online then go to a good bike shop (I like independent shops. occasionally have their own race team and they have really good bike mechanics rather than salesmen) to get the bike adapted for you. The risk you have of going into Edin Bike Coop is that you have a v young moutain biker dude trying to sell you a road bike he cares not a jot about.

I bought from http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/ they fitted me up then sold me the bike. They sent it up to CycleWorks in Edinburgh who I paid £20 to put it all together for me as I did not fancy torquing up all the bits and cracking the frame.

2p

[lou_m]

Oh forgot about the ice... Yeah the ice sucks.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Yup, wish I had gone on the turbo trainer on Wednesday instead of going out and trying to beat my Strava PB's. Hit the ice and ended up on the deck. At least it was my winter bike. Just scratched leavers and ripped bar tape. Still feel a bit sore though.