Discussion
Keep it TBH, do the bare minimum to stop being stranded and crack on
Ive bought a £900 winter bike back in Sept, the recent spell of bad weather is killing it, so I bought a £60 Kona Dew off ebay, to handle the winter and wet commutes.
With the Triban, 18 months down the line you will need the same work doing as the Trek does, I bet most of it doesn't need it.
I'm finding decent V-brakes, flat handlebars and 700 x 35 tyres great, I dont care about chaining it outside shops, jumping kerbs or riding through floods. All the stuff I'd wince at doing on my best bikes, it feels liberating and fun !
Ive bought a £900 winter bike back in Sept, the recent spell of bad weather is killing it, so I bought a £60 Kona Dew off ebay, to handle the winter and wet commutes.
With the Triban, 18 months down the line you will need the same work doing as the Trek does, I bet most of it doesn't need it.
I'm finding decent V-brakes, flat handlebars and 700 x 35 tyres great, I dont care about chaining it outside shops, jumping kerbs or riding through floods. All the stuff I'd wince at doing on my best bikes, it feels liberating and fun !
Keeping it and fixing it up yourself is the way forward as per previous posters. Bikes arent complicated.
However, I ride a triban3 (the older red one) and love it. However, the original wheels (hubs) arent much cop so I put Fulcrum 7's on it and thats made a huge difference TBH. not speed but just the feel of the bike. If you can get one cheap then as a cheap bike you wont regret it.
Things you may not like - 2300 shifters (they dont bother me too much TBH but higher spec ones are nicer of course) A lot of people turn their nose up at a triple, although ive got dodgy knees and it being a triple has been a massive benefit when they periodically play up. YMMV. Easy to convert it to a double though obviousley.
A good well thought of budget road bike basically. Cheaper to get a stand and fix the original bike though.
However, I ride a triban3 (the older red one) and love it. However, the original wheels (hubs) arent much cop so I put Fulcrum 7's on it and thats made a huge difference TBH. not speed but just the feel of the bike. If you can get one cheap then as a cheap bike you wont regret it.
Things you may not like - 2300 shifters (they dont bother me too much TBH but higher spec ones are nicer of course) A lot of people turn their nose up at a triple, although ive got dodgy knees and it being a triple has been a massive benefit when they periodically play up. YMMV. Easy to convert it to a double though obviousley.
A good well thought of budget road bike basically. Cheaper to get a stand and fix the original bike though.
You sound like my mother, who's just sold a £1000 car to buy a £6000 car because its cheaper to run 
As said, get some tools, have a look at the park tools videos etc, there is nothing on a road bike with the exception of very few things that are not really easy to do yourself at home.
Chains, cassettes, BB's, brakes etc all really easy fixes, gear cables too, its all good stuff to know in case you have a mechanical out in the lanes and need to know what to do in order to fix it.
As said, get some tools, have a look at the park tools videos etc, there is nothing on a road bike with the exception of very few things that are not really easy to do yourself at home.
Chains, cassettes, BB's, brakes etc all really easy fixes, gear cables too, its all good stuff to know in case you have a mechanical out in the lanes and need to know what to do in order to fix it.
You don't even clean your cassette or chain?
I thought you said you often can't ride cos you have to stay in and look after the kid/s? This is fettling time.
Up to you, keep spending, or learn how to look after your bikes. Yes, the T3 or any other bike will do you for another year before you have to throw it away.
I thought you said you often can't ride cos you have to stay in and look after the kid/s? This is fettling time.
Up to you, keep spending, or learn how to look after your bikes. Yes, the T3 or any other bike will do you for another year before you have to throw it away.
neilr said:
Keeping it and fixing it up yourself is the way forward as per previous posters. Bikes arent complicated.
However, I ride a triban3 (the older red one) and love it. However, the original wheels (hubs) arent much cop so I put Fulcrum 7's on it and thats made a huge difference TBH. not speed but just the feel of the bike. If you can get one cheap then as a cheap bike you wont regret it.
Things you may not like - 2300 shifters (they dont bother me too much TBH but higher spec ones are nicer of course) A lot of people turn their nose up at a triple, although ive got dodgy knees and it being a triple has been a massive benefit when they periodically play up. YMMV. Easy to convert it to a double though obviousley.
A good well thought of budget road bike basically. Cheaper to get a stand and fix the original bike though.
I had a T3 until it got stolen recently and agree with all of that. Shame the new version doesn't have the carbon fork.However, I ride a triban3 (the older red one) and love it. However, the original wheels (hubs) arent much cop so I put Fulcrum 7's on it and thats made a huge difference TBH. not speed but just the feel of the bike. If you can get one cheap then as a cheap bike you wont regret it.
Things you may not like - 2300 shifters (they dont bother me too much TBH but higher spec ones are nicer of course) A lot of people turn their nose up at a triple, although ive got dodgy knees and it being a triple has been a massive benefit when they periodically play up. YMMV. Easy to convert it to a double though obviousley.
A good well thought of budget road bike basically. Cheaper to get a stand and fix the original bike though.
Coming from mountain biking, I never understood the talk of doubles being preferable to triples on road bikes. You get a wider range of gearing and less of a jump when you change at the front with a triple. Just seems better than a compact (double) to me. For 70% of my riding I seem to be inbetween the small ring and the big ring, a triple with a middle would make a lot more sense.
Im in same boat, if the drive train is that bad rip it all off , go SS. Or just use guards and clean it once a week with baby wipes (takes 5 mins)
Headset might just need new bearings or strip down
Brake blocks and cables can be had for peanuts and a piece of piss to do
Bottom Bracket, leave as is if not getting worse or replace
Gears, if they work well enough after a decent clean leave as is.
You can do most of it yourself, or find a better shop. I use a proper old school back street cycle shop, they try and keep it cheap as poss and then fix parts rather than replace. Those high street shops have got to fund the Cervelo stock some how...
As for training, I find using a s
tty bike can be beneficial, its harder work for starters and when I go out on my decent bikes I exploit the extra performance a lot more .
Headset might just need new bearings or strip down
Brake blocks and cables can be had for peanuts and a piece of piss to do
Bottom Bracket, leave as is if not getting worse or replace
Gears, if they work well enough after a decent clean leave as is.
You can do most of it yourself, or find a better shop. I use a proper old school back street cycle shop, they try and keep it cheap as poss and then fix parts rather than replace. Those high street shops have got to fund the Cervelo stock some how...
As for training, I find using a s
tty bike can be beneficial, its harder work for starters and when I go out on my decent bikes I exploit the extra performance a lot more . Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 27th January 10:25
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Any bike you buy and run in the same way over winter will soon be shagged UNLESS YOU MAINTAIN IT. So you'll soon be back in the same situation, only with one more bike to fix, on top of your already broken one.Rather than buy whole new, soon-to-be-ruined bike, why not just fix the headset of the Trek? Two allen keys, some grease and some bearings I suspect. 30 mins inc. a cuppa.
[quote=okgo]You sound like my mother, who's just sold a £1000 car to buy a £6000 car because its cheaper to run
/quote]
I bought a brand new bike for the winter - on the grounds that it would be cheaper to grind up an apex group set over the winter instead of red / force.
My first repair bill after an epic crash on ice at 25mph proved the logic of that, one more bill like that and the bike has more than paid for itself.
/quote]
I bought a brand new bike for the winter - on the grounds that it would be cheaper to grind up an apex group set over the winter instead of red / force.
My first repair bill after an epic crash on ice at 25mph proved the logic of that, one more bill like that and the bike has more than paid for itself.
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