Search found 90 matches

by John Sanderson
19 Sep 2018 08:46
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Does the club mind if I re-join...?
Replies: 19
Views: 24602

Re: Does the club mind if I re-join...?

Welcome back again John, whichever jersey you happen to be wearing! Cheers Steve - my aim is to get an up to date jersey once i'm back at my racing weight... So the old kit is ok for now! I didn't make it to my race in time last Sat (the event was only a few miles away as the crow flies, but the ot...
by John Sanderson
14 Sep 2018 21:50
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Does the club mind if I re-join...?
Replies: 19
Views: 24602

Re: Does the club mind if I re-join...?

I know this is an ancient thread resurrection, BUT - i have, this evening, rejoined the club using the excellent PayPal route! Unfortunately my best intentions to race in 2016 did not come to pass and attempts at a comeback in 2017 were thwarted by emerging asthma which was particularly nasty at bot...
by John Sanderson
11 Feb 2016 13:42
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Rear gear cable snapped again
Replies: 29
Views: 17494

Andy and helen, what groupset do you have? 105. I must admit the cable was 2 years old..... :oops: Mine was probably the same age, but then I thought Venture Bikes had replaced them when it had a service a few months ago. It would appear not! Is that 'thought' based on what it was agreed at the tim...
by John Sanderson
01 Dec 2015 10:40
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Do I need new cups?
Replies: 5
Views: 4610

Thanks, Pete. My set up does have the cartridge bearings. I would have thought that - as the cartridge bearing has all the movement contained within its assembly - it is not a problem if the place it sits on is pitted - as long as you can get it to sit squarely (which you should with only a couple ...
by John Sanderson
28 Oct 2015 08:05
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Does the club mind if I re-join...?
Replies: 19
Views: 24602

A couple of decades back, I remained a member (and wore the kit) for several years while living abroad. The sense of community within a club is enhanced by the core of its membership living close enough together to meet on a reasonably regular basis, but that in no way precludes some members living...
by John Sanderson
16 Sep 2015 19:22
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Does the club mind if I re-join...?
Replies: 19
Views: 24602

Same you don't have our CX kit John, often referred to as our "away kit" I did look on with envy when the 'black' kit emerged, and it would be rather apt I suppose! What sort of races? What do you mean by light racing? That word and lmtt doesn't normally appear in same sentence! Perhaps " limited a...
by John Sanderson
16 Sep 2015 13:28
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Does the club mind if I re-join...?
Replies: 19
Views: 24602

Does the club mind if I re-join...?

Hello all, some of you may recall my brief stint in the Beacon several years ago (it was not particularly notable or distinguished, but I certainly enjoyed it myself) - life has since taken me off to East Anglia - and even diverted me from cycling for a little while - but I am steadily working towar...
by John Sanderson
26 Jul 2014 23:06
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Pantani film
Replies: 3
Views: 7575

I saw this a few weeks ago in Harwich, Rendell did an intro and QA afterwards. A depressing film, but interesting nonetheless. Rendell was eloquent but a bit rambling!
by John Sanderson
10 Oct 2013 20:36
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: Race around Ireland
Replies: 1
Views: 2742

I know a guy who has started it 3 times, he's crashed out twice and withdrew the 3rd time with exhaustion. from his accounts it does sound like a phenomenal test!
by John Sanderson
08 Aug 2013 09:30
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Mixing Campag & Shimano
Replies: 6
Views: 4841

Re: Mixing Campag & Shimano

You obviously can't use one manufacturer's shifters with another's derailleurs, or one manufacturer's rear derailleur with another's cassette; your indexing would be all over the shop if you did. However, I can't immediately think of why you shouldn't use one manufacturer's chainset + BB with anoth...
by John Sanderson
06 Aug 2013 16:51
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Road Bikes with Disc brakes
Replies: 51
Views: 36426

I once mixed brakes with different co-efficients within fleet of railway carriages, which produced exciting results and some big surprises for the footplate crew, guard and kitchen staff. But that is another story. If i'd been drinking coffee when I read that I would have laughed it all over the ke...
by John Sanderson
30 Jul 2013 20:51
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Hope freehubs
Replies: 6
Views: 5163

I've had the same experience with a Bontrager free hub in the past, in fact out of the several sets of wheels I've destroyed in my time I've come to the conclusion to only use actual Shimano wheel sets from now on should be a safe move...
by John Sanderson
02 Jul 2013 09:17
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: TDF Crashes
Replies: 3
Views: 3541

Re: TDF Crashes

rdleaper wrote:Valverde
I REALLY hope not...
by John Sanderson
02 Jul 2013 09:16
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Outboard b/b bearings and chain alignment
Replies: 14
Views: 9197

George wrote:Image
Ouch!!!
by John Sanderson
02 Jul 2013 09:13
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Ullrich
Replies: 3
Views: 3551

Strange how Ullrich seems to have just faded away, given that he was so prominent when I first started watching le Tour.
by John Sanderson
31 May 2013 08:34
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Outboard b/b bearings and chain alignment
Replies: 14
Views: 9197

Thanks for the feedback, both, which is interesting. However, no one has yet actually said anything to confirm that your average road bike does actually have a narrower bb shell than 5 years ago. And I can't say that I've ever heard/read that that is the case. So I'm really still in the dark. Becau...
by John Sanderson
29 May 2013 17:17
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Outboard b/b bearings and chain alignment
Replies: 14
Views: 9197

Re: Outboard b/b bearings and chain alignment

When looking at frame specs on websites, I've never noticed mention of new frames having narrower bottom bracket shells than was normal 5 years ago.... ....But I looked at chainsets on several shops' sites before buying and saw no such warning. I'm a big fan of sourcing parts online, so hesitate be...
by John Sanderson
12 May 2013 08:23
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Bike book - help needed
Replies: 8
Views: 6080

George wrote:Juliet, I mean no offence by this, but your information request surprises me. How does it come about that you have been commissioned to write this book if you are ignorant of matters as fundamental as the parts of a bike and how they fit together?
+1!
by John Sanderson
26 Apr 2013 10:22
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Cycling @ 100 mph
Replies: 3
Views: 4019

Andy Terry wrote:I remember a speed record attempt that took place on the M42 just before it was opened. The bike used a Jag XJ6 as windbreak.
Dave LeGrys - he lives a few miles from where I do in Essex. It was a Rover SD1 i think though not a Jag?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkJA6Fi6CaU
by John Sanderson
16 Apr 2013 08:57
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Helmet Longevity
Replies: 22
Views: 13782

The advice seems very inconsistent and varies widely. Polycarbonate, the material used to make the hard shell in most cases, degrades with exposure to UV light. Some manufactures use UV inhibitors, but over time will need replacing. Mountaineering helmets, similar cost, design and materials all see...
by John Sanderson
07 Apr 2013 08:25
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Drivetrain advice
Replies: 14
Views: 9555

Re: Drivetrain advice

My intentions are: -replacing the bottom bracket with a Shimano Tiagra 4600 Bottom Bracket. -the chain with a 105 chain -the casette with a Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 Speed Cassette. -All the cables. Not a compatability issue, but If you replace the chain and the cassette but not the chainrings the new...
by John Sanderson
28 Mar 2013 12:23
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Drivetrain advice
Replies: 14
Views: 9555

Re: Drivetrain advice

My intentions are: -replacing the bottom bracket with a Shimano Tiagra 4600 Bottom Bracket. -the chain with a 105 chain -the casette with a Shimano Tiagra 4600 10 Speed Cassette. -All the cables. Not a compatability issue, but If you replace the chain and the cassette but not the chainrings the new...
by John Sanderson
24 Feb 2013 13:34
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: New bike advice
Replies: 51
Views: 51371

I'd second the comments about Bontrager, I'd never buy their wheels again.

I would recommend 105 though, used it for years with no complaints.
by John Sanderson
23 Jan 2013 09:44
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Minimum bike cleaning routine?
Replies: 23
Views: 13151

Didn't realise Muc Off was a no no, i use it quite a bit. Hosepipe also gets used a bit but with care, always spray downward, not on max pressure and don't blast away anywhere near a bearing. If you want to look after your bike then if it is dirty clean it. In the winter that means almost every time...
by John Sanderson
31 Dec 2012 19:16
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Tri bars
Replies: 8
Views: 5767

Call me controversial but... The next best thing to a dedicated tri-bike might not be equipment at all... Until you've been competing for a while i suspect the greatest improvements will pretty much just come from improved training, better pacing and understanding how hard you can push yourself. Spe...
by John Sanderson
20 Nov 2012 09:06
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: A great read
Replies: 153
Views: 2982513

I am in the process of reading Three Men on the Bummel . Don't jump to any outrageous conclusions: it's the sequel to Three Men in a Boat , which I didn't realise existed until it was given to me as a Christmas present. And it's about cycling ... in a vague sort of way. The same trio that went off ...
by John Sanderson
18 Oct 2012 12:48
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Lance comeback
Replies: 327
Views: 3281292

Ed Moss wrote:Wonder when/if Lance will come clean....
I think that's the most interesting part of this now...
by John Sanderson
30 Aug 2012 09:37
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: The making of the Logo V1.0
Replies: 3
Views: 3136

Wow - never realised that 2d graphics were put together in 3d like that. very interesting!!
by John Sanderson
24 Aug 2012 09:39
Forum: Pro Racing
Topic: Lance comeback
Replies: 327
Views: 3281292

It was on R4 news this morning (suppose it's on all the news though) - the suggestion was that the UCI would take the decision to CAS? And that USADA don't have any authority to strip him of his TdF victories? Not sure how correct that is... I must say that, for me, the 'everyone else was on the sau...
by John Sanderson
13 Aug 2012 13:40
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Turbo trainer?
Replies: 5
Views: 4038

Tim - all turbo trainers will wear the rear tye - but i've used them a lot without having a dedicated turbo trainer tyre and never found it a problem.
by John Sanderson
08 Aug 2012 09:05
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Annoying “click”?
Replies: 12
Views: 7863

I had a creak once that really only came out when I was climbing out of the saddle. Turned out it was the sound of the gear cables rubbing against the headtube as I rocked the bike underneath me slightly/turned the handlebars slightly when I was out of the saddle!!!
by John Sanderson
06 Aug 2012 14:32
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Annoying “click”?
Replies: 12
Views: 7863

On the positive side, at least you've given your bike a comprehensive (if unnecessary) overhaul! :-D
by John Sanderson
18 Jun 2012 08:42
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: gears
Replies: 4
Views: 5085

You might need an extra spacer because I think the 10spd cassettes are a fraction narrower than the 9spd ones (contrary to what intuition might suggest). You'll soon know - if you can't tighten up the lockring enough to stop the sprockets from rattling. Ruth Good point - and I had some difficulty f...
by John Sanderson
17 Jun 2012 17:10
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: gears
Replies: 4
Views: 5085

Usually. Try it - you'll soon know if it's worked or not!
by John Sanderson
22 May 2012 10:19
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: GPS
Replies: 24
Views: 10594

disable is autorouting then select off-road instead of follow-road, even if you want to follow the road. Leave auto-routing where it belongs - on your car's sat nav. Really no need for it.If you get lost, ride until you find a road sign and figure it out from there. In fact I used to manage perfect...
by John Sanderson
30 Apr 2012 20:42
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: LMTT
Replies: 75
Views: 195032

Here's how it felt for me. http://meandthemountain.wordpress.com/2 ... amp-squib/

A big disappointment considering i'd had big hopes for this years event - but i'll be back!!! I can only hope Gary Mackintosh was wrong - and that I am not cursed never to break 2 hours!!
by John Sanderson
30 Apr 2012 12:42
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: LMTT
Replies: 75
Views: 195032

Is there a link to George's pics somewhere?
by John Sanderson
30 Apr 2012 09:36
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: LMTT
Replies: 75
Views: 195032

Thanks to everyone for putting on yestedays race - standing out marshalling in that rain must have been no picnic! Seeing riders coming in to the HQ having finished I felt a bit ashamed that I climbed off at the end of the first lap - but my big aim for the race had been to go round in under 2 hours...
by John Sanderson
19 Apr 2012 15:00
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: LMTT
Replies: 75
Views: 195032

Any recent previous winners on there? I didn't see any 'big' names that I recongised from a quick glance - not that I know the TT scene that well...
by John Sanderson
14 Mar 2012 11:40
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: LMTT
Replies: 75
Views: 195032

I may become less biased when i've ridden a few more 'mountain' TTs, which I intend to do this year, but frankly i'd go so far as to say that TTs should ONLY be about events like the LMTT. Something so epic makes pan flat dual carriageway PB chasing seem like an irrelevance to me! :lol: Perhaps it's...
by John Sanderson
03 Mar 2012 13:59
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Crankset and BB advice please!
Replies: 2
Views: 3274

Crankset and BB advice please!

Ok - here's the situation: I have a TIME frame fitted with a Bontrager Crankset with what appears to be an SRAM(?) 'GXP' bottom bracket. English threaded - 68mm wide. I'm a bit vague on the details - as the BB just has GXP moulded into the plastic sleeve but doesn't have any manufacturer details on ...
by John Sanderson
14 Feb 2012 12:23
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: A great read
Replies: 153
Views: 2982513

lc1981 wrote:Slightly off-topic as it's a film rather than a book, but A Sunday in Hell in on YouTube and is well worth watching if you haven't seen it: http://youtu.be/D4IDCkcnnHg
A bit odd to watch in the context of the TV coverage we get nowadays.. But good nonetheless.
by John Sanderson
25 Jan 2012 10:38
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: A great read
Replies: 153
Views: 2982513

Another interesting read: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bounce-How-Champions-are-Made/dp/000735052X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327487830&sr=8-2 Glad you enjoyed the blog Terry - i've just added another post - my i continue to be forgiven for poking fun at the 2005 Beacon kit design (which in my defence I wea...
by John Sanderson
25 Jan 2012 10:32
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: 3/4 Cat Road Races 2012
Replies: 15
Views: 10127

I well remember Fabian's nasty crash there - that wasn't a happy day for Beacon road-racers as I recall, John, was it? I think I raced there 5 times or so, doing 2 30K races each time, and saw an accident in every single race I was in. Fabians accident was particularly nasty - and rather upsetting ...
by John Sanderson
24 Jan 2012 09:50
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: 3/4 Cat Road Races 2012
Replies: 15
Views: 10127

'Tactics' is perhaps a bit advanced for 4th cat racing (not to be dismissive) but if you haven't raced before: 1. The race will start fast and then slow down - so hang on in there for the first few laps. 2. Crashes are not inevitable but you are best to place yourself as far up the pack as possible ...
by John Sanderson
19 Jan 2012 17:58
Forum: Time Trials
Topic: 3/4 Cat Road Races 2012
Replies: 15
Views: 10127

Vic Park is good, but can be a crash-fest - the Concorde and Birmingham CC events (assuming they are still out near the airport) are good. Good luck with your season.
by John Sanderson
16 Jan 2012 08:48
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: 23mm or 25mm tyres?
Replies: 26
Views: 12744

I've been running 23mm Bontrager Hardcase tyres for ages with no problems, and they are less than £15 a tyre. On my winter bike i've been using a 25mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus on the back for 2 years now and, touch wood, had no fl@ts at all... I've also started using it on the turbo without changing t...
by John Sanderson
05 Dec 2011 14:00
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Rear Gear Calibration; ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Replies: 24
Views: 12009

Ah yes - for me first stop with a badly shifting drivetrain is usually 'clean the chain'!! In truth i've often thought that cycling as an activity could just as easily be rebranded 'chase the squeak'... My favourite recent experience has been replacing the bottom bracket in attempt to resolve the sq...
by John Sanderson
05 Dec 2011 08:25
Forum: Technical Talk
Topic: Rear Gear Calibration; ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Replies: 24
Views: 12009

I am currently experiencing similar problems. As Alan has suggested. I suspect that problems (e.g. dirt and or corrosion) relating to the pivots on the mech are much more likely than a weaking of the spring - assuming that you always relax the tension on the derailleur when the bike is parked? It's ...
by John Sanderson
18 Nov 2011 10:03
Forum: Cafe Stop
Topic: A great read
Replies: 153
Views: 2982513

John, if you are going to plug your own work, it's no good being half-hearted about it.
...On the 'to-do' list is a post about humility and self-depreciation and their place in cycling. It is one of the elements of the sport that appeals to me the most.... :D