[ninjatalli]

^^ there was no clarification required. PJs seem to be an unappreciated skill it seems lol.


I forgot who gave me this recommendation - but finally this cycle computer got delivered from UK (by Lightinthebox site). Thanks to the guys who recommended this (@blackwasp maybe?).


Model: IGPSPORT iGS20E - ~5k inr

GPS connectivity works like a charm, tested it out over a 100 km ride. And uploading the ride details to Strava is a simple USB connect exercise. No more spotty GPS issues for me (hopefully). Battery life seems to be decent - still 2 (out of 3) battery bars remained after the ~6 hour ride over the weekend. I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a VFM cyclometer. Now waiting to connect with a cycling friend of mine who bought a much more expensive cyclocomputer a few months ago

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

I forgot who gave me this recommendation - but finally this cycle computer got delivered from UK (by Lightinthebox site). Thanks to the guys who recommended this (@blackwasp maybe?).

This looks great! What's the price and product link? Hope it does Cadence too and comes with all sensors?

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

No more spotty GPS issues for me (hopefully).

I have the exact same model since last December. GPS of this model is quite reliable. Never faced any issue. Only if you take a long break, like few months, it will take some time to latch onto the satellites signals.

Battery life is also good. I think it is around 12 hrs, if I look at the time between two recharges based on my daily rides.

BTW, did it cost 5k? I had ordered it from Ali Express and cost me about 2600.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

This looks great! What's the price and product link? Hope it does Cadence too and comes with all sensors?

Fyi the Product Details
I got it from Lightinthebox (ecommerce portal) - several sellers on that site.

Originally Posted by shipnil

BTW, did it cost 5k? I had ordered it from Ali Express and cost me about 2600.

Yup. The current price is on similar lines (~4-5k inr) on AliExpress when shipping and taxes are added. Things have become expensive from Aliexpress, atleast the ones I have been searching for. Also many sellers are now refusing to ship to India so the above site was a much better experience.

[shamanth]

While one arm of Govt is trying to promote Cycling another arm is trying to discourage cycling with fines for carrying bicycle on car. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.c...w/78649072.cms

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by shamanth

While one arm of Govt is trying to promote Cycling another arm is trying to discourage cycling with fines for carrying bicycle on car. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.c...w/78649072.cms

Lots of regulars in Poona getting caught for top racks.

Cheers, Doc

[Mi10]

Brought the Wahoo Roam to use with the Kickr Core. very Impressed in terms of usability. Pairs in a jiffy, connects with Garmin HR sensors, Cadence sensors, downloads workouts from TP, and prompts your every day schedule the moment you switch on the device. And best of all, go through a full week (~10-12 hrs of training) in a single charge !



Also slowly getting inducted into Power based training. So now i only do 1 outdoor ride per week (based on Effort) and all other rides indoor. Adding some brick runs here and there as well.

[ringoism]

So with hundreds of new bicycles being purchased in the villages around here this year, my fabrication shop has been partially transformed into a bicycle workshop - a bit of side income and useful community relations/service.

First personal project in the course of this was the rebuilding of a very early model alloy-framed Firefox I'd picked up a couple years back in the scrapyard (@₹1500). No pics of it in as-bought condition, but suffice it to say it is much better off now:



Rim brakes and steel cranks/handle/stem, but will probably upgrade those last three - and even as-is, it's a good bit lighter than your current run-of-the mill Suncross/ Cosmic / steel Firefox MTB.

Also pretty unique after the full frame polish and modding/upgrading it to 21 gears from 18 (it's hilly here!), Acera derailleurs (added after these photos) and changers, a decently padded, vented (imported) seat, and best of all a 700C-35 front wheel, making it a proper "69'er" and indeed helping it run a lot smoother over the horrible road enroute to my shop. The overwhelming majority of this stuff was sourced from the scrapyard / old parts bin, but with good servicing it rides well, and I'm pretty happy with what's come together for well under ₹5,000 total cost. I have had a lot of people gawking at it and asking if it was for sale (it's not!).



Still having a super-smooth old Merida Matts 20 in my possession, this Firefox goes to the wife...


...But I've got something in line for its replacement after a full refurb this winter:



Another of the local scrap guys (actually scrap ladies!) told me recently they'd kept something for me... I was a bit disappointed to find an old desi-company unit with long, spindly steel stem and handle... till I realized that it, too, was alloy-framed, from the Hercules "Ryders" line, again a very early unit. Picked it up mostly complete and easily rebuildable for ₹1800... thought to do the frame-polish on this one too, and ride it in favor of the Merida.

But a few weeks later was surprised to come across another alloy "Ryders" model sitting derelict at a bike shop... this one with full suspension, height/angle adjustable alloy stem, alloy cranks, and set up for disc brakes...

Specific model is the ACT 108 Max, of which I haven't been able to find anything online, but judging by components / materials, it couldn't have been too cheap when new.

Not too light or heavy, and about the most quirky frame design I've ever seen - and with my 50+year-old back thinking the rear shocker is gonna do me right, I suspect this will be my keeper, and I'll be letting the Merida go.

Having seen these two Ryders units I tend to think the company was a bit ahead of its time and long ago saw the writing on the wall as it concerns more modern, lightweight, enhanced feature bikes...

...But their website shows little or nothing of the sort being currently offered, and with things having long since opened up for Treks and Raleighs and now dozens of other good imported brands, I suppose companies like Hercules (and Avon, Atlas, etc) realized they were never going to be able to shake their low-tech desi tank image, and went back to doing what they always did best (or worst)...

I'm wondering whether these Ryders units were all made in-house, or whether sourced elsewhere. Anyone with info, please enlighten me!

And stay tuned!

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

But his favourite weapon of choice is his Triban 100 drop bar. And we've all seen what he does with the bike. And this is his personal opinion and not as a Decathlon employee cause there's no reason for him to push a cheap low end product over their much more expensive products. And no none is definitely forcing him to ride the Triban 100 near exclusively over their lac plus Van Rysels and carbon roadies with top end componentry and fancy wheelsets.

This is simply amazing - I always cheer for the underdog. In almost any realm of engineering, modest tech executed to a high standard can take you further than most are willing to imagine / admit.

-Eric

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

I'm wondering whether these Ryders units were all made in-house, or whether sourced elsewhere. Anyone with info, please enlighten me!

And stay tuned!

The ACT 110 which I own, alloy, the frame and wheels are direct Chinese imports, the entire drivetrain is made in Taiwan Shimano Tourney).

I think their current Montra Trance Pro uses exactly the same frame with a straight alloy fork, whereas the ACT came with a curved steel fork (much better in my opinion).

I think TI Cycles cannibalized the Hercules Neo series into the Montra brand, cause they realized that the Indian public would always associate Hercules with the old black roadsters the brand was famous for decades for.

That's beautiful work on the Firefox. Did you refurbish the front suspension fork. Does it work well. If not, a nice curved steel work could be fitted to make it a very robust old school MTB.

Cheets, Doc

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

I forgot who gave me this recommendation - but finally this cycle computer got delivered from UK (by Lightinthebox site). Thanks to the guys who recommended this (@blackwasp maybe?).

Fantastic. Enjoy.

The same piece is going strong for me too. Originally recommended by Aditya.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The ACT 110 which I own, alloy, the frame and wheels are direct Chinese imports, the entire drivetrain is made in Taiwan Shimano Tourney).

I think their current Montra Trance Pro uses exactly the same frame with a straight alloy fork, whereas the ACT came with a curved steel fork (much better in my opinion).

I think TI Cycles cannibalized the Hercules Neo series into the Montra brand, cause they realized that the Indian public would always associate Hercules with the old black roadsters the brand was famous for decades for.

That's beautiful work on the Firefox. Did you refurbish the front suspension fork. Does it work well. If not, a nice curved steel work could be fitted to make it a very robust old school MTB.

Cheets, Doc

Thanks Doc, I saw you mentioning your Hercules MTB earlier and hoped you might shed some light on the topic.

Forks on the Firefox are perfect, fortunately.

Re: the ACT, Chinese is what I suspected. If I can't manage to get the telescoping alloy forks unfrozen (very rusty), I'll see if the curved fork I have on another (imported ladies' steel 700C) junker will fit it.

Both these Hercules have frozen telescoping forks, btw. Roads are rough here and while I dislike the weight and sloppiness of cheap telescopes, they do seem to be easier on the wrists.

You seem to be a real guru here, so will inquire of you re:tyres: I have no problem buying cheap Indian tyres per se... but here in the Himalayas, when cold weather sets in, have found that their rubber - all the rubber - tends to crack badly, even when brand new / unused.

Any recommended brands / models?

-Eric

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

You seem to be a real guru here, so will inquire of you re:tyres: I have no problem buying cheap Indian tyres per se... but here in the Himalayas, when cold weather sets in, have found that their rubber - all the rubber - tends to crack badly, even when brand new / unused.

Any recommended brands / models?

-Eric

I'm not a guru Ringo but thanks anyway.

Tyres actually in my experience Indian rubber last toughest and longest. Ralson and GRL.

GRL is shut down now. Ralson has good off road tyres with blocks.

The foreign brands are pretty expensive but Vittoria has some very decently priced tyres. Even then, "decent" is a relative term. A set would still put you back around 2000 bucks tyres and tubes. For carefully salvaged bikes that you've tried to keep under 5000 fir the entire build.

My philosophy on my steel MTB is therefore to buy cheap tyres and tubes and replace when they're done. Works out cheaper than getting life out of expensive rubber. And in the hills you would have to contend more with nature than man made crap like glass and nails and wires and stables ... where if tge rubber is reasonably hard, and sidewalls strong, you're good to go.

Tyres don't usually crack if you keep them inflated properly and in use. But I've no experience with the kinds of temperatures you are used to living in so I must admit I have no ready answers to that, rubber compound wise.

One hassle of different sized wheels is that you need to source different sized tyres, you cannot rotate tyres front to back to even out wear and extend life, and you need to carry two spare tubes in place of one.

One source of reasonably good tyres, since you believe in economy (and saving the planet) and look for salvage and good kabadi wala deals, is the dime a dozen cycle tour operators traipsing with their flocks of lowlanders across the mountains. Shimla and Manali being big hubs for their operations (and shops and workshops).

They charge a bundle so they change tyres often for reliability. The tyres they discard have easily many thousands of kms life left in them.

Cheers, Doc

[creative420]

Will this be a good buy for a 5' 10" guy? There's a steel version too at 8kgs heavier, but in 27.5" size. Which will be better? Strictly for casual exercise.

Urban Terrain UT3000A26 Alloy MTB with 21 Shimano Gear and Installation services 26 T Mountain Cycle
http://dl.flipkart.com/dl/urban-terr...oduct.share.pp

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Originally Posted by creative420

Will this be a good buy for a 5' 10" guy? There's a steel version too at 8kgs heavier, but in 27.5" size. Which will be better? Strictly for casual exercise.

The 27.5 alloy version. Or did I miss something?

Urban Terrain UT3002A27.5 Alloy MTB with 21 Shimano Gear and Installation services 27.5 T Mountain/Hardtail Cycle
http://dl.flipkart.com/dl/urban-terr...oduct.share.pp

I am not answering your question though. There is a Decathlon size chart posted few posts back please go through it. It may not apply to this brand, but I suspect 26T is way too small.

Now, a fun video for those in teens fearful of getting a too large a cycle. Not a recommendation.

https://youtu.be/pr11fZ-f63s

Nothing is impossible!!