[ecenandu]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Good going! Where are you put up, mate? From the pictures, my guess says somewhere in UK but I could be wrong!

Thank you. I'm in Vasteras, Sweden. Its hundred odd Kms from Stockholm.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

How are roadies to live with on a daily basis? Can one carry a backpack et cetera?

Please share some anecdotes- What sort of questions are asked about them by the public..et cetera.

That depends on what you intend to do with the road bike on a daily basis. If it is mainly for fitness rides (30km to 100km, and even 200 or 300km brevets), you can easily manage with a couple of bottle holders, a saddle bag a top tube bag. You can get these in decathlon between 300 to 600 INR. You can carry basic requirements like spare tube, tire levers, tool kit etc in the saddle bag, and wallet, cell phone, energy bars and gatorade sachets in the top tube bag. Below are a few photos of the setup on my bike.







But if you are considering a commute, carrying a backpack in a road bike may not be practical due to the riding position (ofcourse, you can get the bike fit for a totally relaxed straight riding position, but that would beat the purpose of the road bike). When I first bought the road bike, I did not have the saddle bag or the top tube bag and used a back pack with water bottle, cell phone and energy bars on a 40km hill climb and that was very uncomfortable.

So, if you are planning to commute on the road bike with heavy load like laptop, you will have to fit a rack and panniers to save the discomfort to your back. A friend of mine whom I ride with regularly did a 1200km brevet and he fixed rack and panniers to his Fuji road bike. Here is a picture of a road bike with rack and panniers.



Image Courtesy: Google Images

The downside of fitting a rack and pannier to a road bike is during fitness rides, this will slow you down a bit and may not look sporty. If you do not care about speed or looks, then you can have these permanently fit to the bike.

Another option would be retain the hybrid for commutes and get the roadie for those fast rides.

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

... w.r.t Their Handling on the Puneri roads, the puncture likelihood etc.

And how did the famous public react to it? How many times have you been asked the price by an unknown stranger? ...

Regarding punctures, as long as you do not do offroading, and be careful to not ride on debris like glass shards, you can avoid punctures. Also, the type of tires you use decide on puncture resistance. Tires like Gatorskins, Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Continental GP 4 Seasons have special layers that protect the tires from punctures. Using a tire liner also helps with tires with lesser puncture protection. Also, make sure to maintain the rated pressure to avoid pinch flats and you can easily escape the puncture fairy.

I have lost count of the number of times people ask for the price of the bike. If you are riding alone in a remote area, it is safe to quote something like 10K, to make it unworthy for the evil minded to attempt a bikejacking. If you are in a busy place like a signal, you could showoff by quoting the real price

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Not really. Once you start riding, you start sweating like a pig due to the layer(s) of clothes you have put up to bear the cold. And when you take a break, the reverse effect kicks in even faster!

Sounds nasty. Did not think about that. Now I understand why people in cold areas with sub zero temperatures talk about using trainers indoor during winter months.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

How was roadbiking as an experience, back in Pune?

Would appreciate a detailed post- w.r.t Their Handling on the Puneri roads, the puncture likelihood etc.

And how did the famous public react to it? How many times have you been asked the price by an unknown stranger? And, lastly (), can a roadie work on Puneri roads as a good commuter- without braking your back? You know how the roads are!

Check out this thread/post - I had posted my experience of my first brevet. If you have any specific questions, I can try to answer them.
Brevet experience

P.s. I haven't ridden a road bike in Pune. But I had several friends riding along on a roadbike, and they had no issues that were different from mine.


Long rides in India is actually quite pleasant, if you take the basic cautions of course. Inspite of our bad driving skills, in a way the average indian driver is a lot used to see cyclists (remember the aam admi and his basic cycle as his only transport).

Be it city roads or highways, I haven't faced a lot of issues - and this is across Mumbai, Pune and Chennai - a fair amount of different types of road maniacs drive across all three

As @graaja correctly put it, a basic care to the road goes a long way to cater to the issue of punctures. Of course, there is a luck factor - on both of my brevets, I faced zero punctures, while I saw several of my fellow riders having them on the same road. Roads are practically the same across most of the cities - bad; but manageable

And once in a while people keep asking the basic questions, the most common of them being - "Bhaisaheb, koi race chal raha hai kya?" (Translation: Is there a race?) But otherwise they leave you alone, and at more than once, they even stop over and ask you if need some help (happened twice to me when I was resting on the side)

Roadside dhabas, or the occasional hotel on the highway don't mind you and let you use their facilities without any issue. Trust me - on a day long ride, the option to have a laid down rest on a dhaba's khatiya or bench for a short while is a godsend.

Originally Posted by graaja

But if you are considering a commute, carrying a backpack in a road bike may not be practical due to the riding position (ofcourse, you can get the bike fit for a totally relaxed straight riding position, but that would beat the purpose of the road bike). When I first bought the road bike, I did not have the saddle bag or the top tube bag and used a back pack with water bottle, cell phone and energy bars on a 40km hill climb and that was very uncomfortable.

Interesting. I used to carry the backpack on a hybrid. Didn't have the chance to try on a roadbike. However I have got myself the Mule for rides here, will be able to give feedback on having a bag on my back while riding a roadbike.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Interesting. I used to carry the backpack on a hybrid. Didn't have the chance to try on a roadbike. However I have got myself the Mule for rides here, will be able to give feedback on having a bag on my back while riding a roadbike.

On a hybrid, your back is straight and hence the weight of the backpack will be distributed well. But on a roadbike with a forward stance, carrying a backpack may introduce stress on the back, wrists (if you put weight on the wrists) and the core. The distance also will play a role here. If you are doing a commute of say 30 minutes or less, you may not feel the discomfort, whereas longer duration on the saddle will increase the stress. Of course, all this is just assumption. Immediately after that one ride with the back pack, I bought all the storage accessories for my bike and have not carried a back pack since.

How is your experience with the M.U.L.E? Do you feel comfortable on long rides on your road bike?

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

will be able to give feedback on having a bag on my back while riding a roadbike.

Originally Posted by graaja

On a hybrid, your back is straight and hence the weight of the backpack will be distributed well.

My commute will be- at MAX 15km one way. 50::50 downhill and uphill.

I find the hybrid too slow- Will dispose of her, and use a Dio now. Perhaps. The roadie will be for those fast, and exploration related rides.

I don't see why a roadie should be uncomfortable, that way.

[B.R.S.Rao]

Puchased two year old used Btwin Hoptown 3 for Rs.6000/-. Beautiful folding bicycle with 6 gears. Little on heavier side but ride is smooth. Fits nicely in my Spark boot.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by graaja

How is your experience with the M.U.L.E? Do you feel comfortable on long rides on your road bike?

Got it this week only.
Have a populaire next weekend, will give feedback after that.

As for the road bike the max I have done is 60 odd. Been bothered more by the cold temperatures to really notice the difference of the road bike.

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

My commute will be- at MAX 15km one way. 50::50 downhill and uphill.

I find the hybrid too slow- Will dispose of her, and use a Dio now. Perhaps. The roadie will be for those fast, and exploration related rides.

I don't see why a roadie should be uncomfortable, that way.

the issues @graaja is talking about is for longer distances.
For that distance you are planning for, unless you are going up a steep hill/mountain, having a backpack might not be much of a bother.

[Shubhendra]

Originally Posted by FINTAIL

My commute will be- at MAX 15km one way. 50::50 downhill and uphill.

Need your help again. Finally I bought a Montra Blues last week from Bombay. Its 1 and half years old bike. I need to get it serviced before i start using it. Can you please tell me which shop should i go for service. I stay in Wakad and work in Baner.

Thank you !

Regards,
Shubhendra Singh

[FINTAIL]

Originally Posted by Shubhendra

Need your help again. Finally I bought a Montra Blues last week from Bombay. Its 1 and half years old bike. I need to get it serviced before i start using it. Can you please tell me which shop should i go for service. I stay in Wakad and work in Baner.

Go to the Pashan-Baner link road- A place called Regent Plaza, which will be visible almost immediately on the left side, when you take the right turn, and head down the slope, approaching from Pashan Side.

When approaching from Baner- enter the road, take right, and climb that huge slope. Almost at the end, on the right side of the road, you shall see Regent Plaza.

Enter the building. You shall see- almost immediately, a shop with 'Giant Cycles' Banners.

Well- That is the place to go to, in our suburb.

I would suggest- Ask him about the latest prices about servicing. IIRC- It was around 1k ish. And a cheaper option also exists. I was there today only, and was recieving a 25% discount on something.....

He does work correctly, and services in an excellent manner- BUT- His charges are quite high. Nevertheless, as the quality of work is good, and since the official dealers of Montra in town, Surinder Cycles on Karve Road are a bit worse, in terms of customer experience, I stick with this guy.
His data, as said on JustDial: http://www.justdial.com/Pune/Giant-S...IEJhbmVy_BZDET

A Map:



3M Car Care is located in the place, where 'CalSoft' is marked. So- you know the location approximately by now- I guess.

Visit him on all days- except Tuesday, and inquire on servicing. Try and keep the bill below 1500INR. And....A tip- Install tyre rim liners. And lo! The car will be gathering dust.

I think that is sufficient. Any more queries- send a PM.

[ecenandu]

Gurus,

A noob question, after getting my ROX 5.0, I am now monitoring my heart rate during rides.

I usually do 55mins to 1 Hour rides during the weekdays. My heart rate during the ride falls in Z3(40%), Z4(40%) and Z1, Z2 (20 %). Is this okay or am I pushing too hard. I am not that tired by the end of the ride. And I do take a 5 minutes hydration break in between.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

From Sigma Website, My HR max is 190.
BE1: Basic endurance 1, 60-70% of the HR max 114 - 133
BE1/2: Basic endurance 1/2, 70-80% of the HR max 133 - 152
BE2: Basic endurance 2, 80-90% of the HR max 152 - 171
CE: Competition endurance, 90 – 100% of the HR max 171 - 190

[mail4ajo]

Any idea who stocks Continental tires in India apart from ProBikers? Want to get a set of 25c Gatorskins. Only 23c seem to be available.

[yogi1771]

At last the build is over , the old Scott sold to a friend.

[phamilyman]

For those of you with easy access to US, get yourself the Sugoi Zap jacket:


$150 from REI, but that visibility's surely worth it for a commuter!

They even have a $60 jersey version:
http://www.rei.com/product/881541/su...ke-jersey-mens
http://www.rei.com/product/875014/su...ke-jacket-mens

Note: The jersey - it isn't all over reflective like the jacket - it has a reflective panel on the back and strips on the shoulders. Its still better than a non-reflective jersey, but it won't light up entirely.

[roy_libran]

Has anyone tried the Rear Mounted Rack, from -
http://youlovebikes.com/Car_Bike_Racks_India.html
?

How is it? Any cheaper & better options? I'm planning to get one soon. Thanks.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Has anyone tried the Rear Mounted Rack, from -
http://youlovebikes.com/Car_Bike_Racks_India.html
?

How is it? Any cheaper & better options? I'm planning to get one soon. Thanks.

Thats already in the I-cant_believe_its_so_cheap domain. Have you seen it working?

I'd suggest the BNB or Thule racks depending on budget. BNB should be in the 5-6k range.