[Blelidupgerie]

Well... After letting myself go a bit over the past year and a half, I'm going on a bit of a get-fit binge over the next few months & think with this kind of thing it's always best to have a target to set your sights on to.

So... my target... is to cycle to the south of France in September.

But... in order to do that, I need a new bike... my current one is in a sorry state.

Anyone have much experience with bikes?

It will all be on-road, so I need a bike for that & I hate the curly handle bars that most road bikes have, so straight handle bars for me.

Suggestions?

I'll set my price limit at £600... ideally want to spend less, but if there's something special then that's what I can go up to.

[HottBrorb]

How long is the trip? Anything over 30 miles i suggest those "curly" bars, your hands will thank you. As for a bike, lots and lots of options, and for a much better advice than what you will get here go to www.bikeforums.net. For urban commuting like i do i also hate the drop bars and use flat bars, but for long distance cycling you need something with more hand positions.

[Blelidupgerie]

How long is the trip? Anything over 30 miles i suggest those "curly" bars, your hands will thank you. As for a bike, lots and lots of options, and for a much better advice than what you will get here go to www.bikeforums.net. For urban commuting like i do i also hate the drop bars and use flat bars, but for long distance cycling you need something with more hand positions.

Hehe... just a tad over 30 miles.

A quick map search shows the shortest distance from Calais -> St Tropez to be just over 700 miles.

I'm planning on sticking to the coast... just had another look and we're talking about 1100 miles over 3 weeks.

So I'm hoping to be able to do at least 60 miles a day...

I know that's nuts & it's going to be a lot of hard work... hmmm... maybe I should try and get some people to sponsor me & it to go towards some charity. Eh, will have a look in to that... every little helps ey.

Will it be worth getting used to the drop handles? Really make that much of a difference?

I'll have a look at that forum, cheers bud.

[HottBrorb]

60 miles a day is a lot but if you take it easy you should be fine. Almost as much as the 100 or so miles the riders do at the Tour per day. And yes drop bars are worth it, or mustache bars or bull horns, just anything that gives you more than one hand position. Even with my flat bar bike going around town i sometimes try to grab the bars as if i am holding drops, it's just a more natural position for the hands, especially for a road bike where the rider's position is more aggressive. If you're riding upright on a cruiser it's a different story.

[Blelidupgerie]

60 miles a day is a lot but if you take it easy you should be fine. Almost as much as the 100 or so miles the riders do at the Tour per day. And yes drop bars are worth it, or mustache bars or bull horns, just anything that gives you more than one hand position. Even with my flat bar bike going around town i sometimes try to grab the bars as if i am holding drops, it's just a more natural position for the hands, especially for a road bike where the rider's position is more aggressive. If you're riding upright on a cruiser it's a different story.

Ok... I think I should head down to some bike shops and have a sit on some for myself & get some of their opinions aswell.

Also... I've submitted my idea to the LAF (Lance Armstrong Foundation), have already got a few sponsors who'll send them money when I go through with it

[Pipindula]

Will it be worth getting used to the drop handles? Really make that much of a difference?

Yes. It will cut down on wind resistance a huge amount = less energy expended per mile. Which if you are travelling a long distance is a bonus.

Oh yeah, get a comfortable saddle. [yes]

[Blelidupgerie]

Yes. It will cut down on wind resistance a huge amount = less energy expended per mile. Which if you are travelling a long distance is a bonus.

Oh yeah, get a comfortable saddle. [yes]

Oki

And yeah - the thing I'm going to have to pick very carefully is the saddle... I remember when I was a kid going on ~20 mile bike rides & my ass hurt! lol

This is going to be a real killer - I hope I can pull it off

[Illisezek]

The drop bars are fantastic and you absolutely must get dual-control levers. What's great about drop bars is that you have a wide variety of placements for your hands that allow you to maximize your comfort or efficiency depending on your riding needs. For an upright cruise, you can either let go of the bars or hold onto them near the stem. For normal riding, you hold onto the hoods. For high speed descents or heavy acceleration you hold onto the drop bars.

£600 will buy you a fine aluminum bike. Ensure that you get a Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Veloce or equivalent quality SRAM groupset (SRAM's new to roadbikes so I don't know anything about the quality). No less!

Ensure that you ride the bike extensively before taking it out on a long trip. The cables tend to stretch a bit after a while and you'd want to have the bike tuned up after you've been riding it for a couple months before you take it out on a long trip.

Get properly fitted for a bike at a good shop. Even if the bike costs more there, make sure you're being put on the right bike for you or you'll regret it after 1100mi.

Proper, padded shorts are a must. Get a pair that fits you correctly and no, you do not wear underpants underneath them when you ride. They will keep you dry and cool, prevent clammy ass, chafing and numbness in your "hardware."

Practice using the toolkit you intend to take with you BEFORE you're out on the road and make sure you bring a pump that can completely inflate your tires. Changing tires on a road bike is harder than you think and it requires some practice. Also, most portable pumps are incapable of inflating road bike tires to the correct pressure, which is usually 100-120psi. Learn how to adjust the derailleurs and brakes.

[HottBrorb]

I recommend Topeak Road Morph as a portable pump. It extends with a cable and handle and it's almost like a floor pump. There is also a psi indicator. It goes to 120 psi without a problem, i love it.
As a saddle i use the Terry Fly, but saddles are an individual thing, so you have to find a good one for you. As inept said make sure you know how to change a flat, bring levers, patch kit, and spare tubes and you'll be fine.

[Blelidupgerie]

The drop bars are fantastic and you absolutely must get dual-control levers. What's great about drop bars is that you have a wide variety of placements for your hands that allow you to maximize your comfort or efficiency depending on your riding needs. For an upright cruise, you can either let go of the bars or hold onto them near the stem. For normal riding, you hold onto the hoods. For high speed descents or heavy acceleration you hold onto the drop bars.

£600 will buy you a fine aluminum bike. Ensure that you get a Shimano 105 or Campagnolo Veloce or equivalent quality SRAM groupset (SRAM's new to roadbikes so I don't know anything about the quality). No less!

Ensure that you ride the bike extensively before taking it out on a long trip. The cables tend to stretch a bit after a while and you'd want to have the bike tuned up after you've been riding it for a couple months before you take it out on a long trip.

Get properly fitted for a bike at a good shop. Even if the bike costs more there, make sure you're being put on the right bike for you or you'll regret it after 1100mi.

Proper, padded shorts are a must. Get a pair that fits you correctly and no, you do not wear underpants underneath them when you ride. They will keep you dry and cool, prevent clammy ass, chafing and numbness in your "hardware."

Practice using the toolkit you intend to take with you BEFORE you're out on the road and make sure you bring a pump that can completely inflate your tires. Changing tires on a road bike is harder than you think and it requires some practice. Also, most portable pumps are incapable of inflating road bike tires to the correct pressure, which is usually 100-120psi. Learn how to adjust the derailleurs and brakes.

What are the dual controls levers?

I think I will go for drop bars then

If most pumps are incapable of the job, do you know any that can do the job?

Cheers

[Peertantyb]

What are the dual controls levers?

I think I will go for drop bars then

If most pumps are incapable of the job, do you know any that can do the job?

Cheers

Dual control levers I think are ones with levers you can reach from the top of the bars or the front. My racer just has brake levers at the front - I can't brake if my hands are at the top of the bars.

Most hand pumps wont be up to the job, you may be able to get large hand pumps that are up to the job but otherwise a track pump would be a good idea. Up until this week I only had a mini hand pump for my road bike, now I have a track pump the difference is immense.

[AnetTeilor]

Dual control levers I think are ones with levers you can reach from the top of the bars or the front. My racer just has brake levers at the front - I can't brake if my hands are at the top of the bars.

Most hand pumps wont be up to the job, you may be able to get large hand pumps that are up to the job but otherwise a track pump would be a good idea. Up until this week I only had a mini hand pump for my road bike, now I have a track pump the difference is immense.

Yeah a track pump is easier, but it's not the easiest of things to carry with you on a bicycle.

As for padded shorts, yes they are a good idea. You can also get padded (under)pants that do the same job but you can wear under normal clothing.

[Illisezek]

Dual control levers integrate your shifting and braking into one set of levers. They are convenient, allow you to shift multiple gears very rapidly and allow you to shift and brake simultaneously without removing your hands from the handlebars. You can reach them from the hoods or when in a tuck position. They're awesome.

You might also want to carry a spare tire in your repair kit, in addition to spare tubes and tools. Flats on a road bike tend to be relatively cataclysmic. I've had tires slashed through the sidewall before and therefore totally ruined.

[Blelidupgerie]

Ahh ok - yeah - I'll look into getting those.

[gamecasta]

What bikes are you looking at? The price range you mentioned is interesting -- you can get a truly race worthy bike if you shop smart. I think it's worth spending all 600 pounds. Are you going to get a racing bike or a touring bike?

[Blelidupgerie]

What bikes are you looking at? The price range you mentioned is interesting -- you can get a truly race worthy bike if you shop smart. I think it's worth spending all 600 pounds. Are you going to get a racing bike or a touring bike?

I don't really have a clue on bikes yet... the only thing I can say is that I'll be going with a decent brand name.

I think I'll be going for a tourer... I've read that if you get a race bike & put a rack on it there's a good chance for your feet to hit the bags on the back.

So tourer seems more sensible.

But it will be best for me to go to various bike shops and see what they have to offer, try some out and see how they feel... must find a comfy seat that won't have my arse hurting after one day! haha

[Blelidupgerie]

Oh... and I forgot to mention... the £600 needs to buy everything... bike, spares, tools, shorts, lights... already have helmet. £600 really is my max.

[Blelidupgerie]

Bearing in mind I have no idea what I'm on about...

I like the look of these:

Raleigh Venture GT
Claud Butler Regent

Dawes Horizon
Ridgeback Voyage
Claud Butler Roubaix T
Felt Z90

Top two the most...

[NowFloabDow]

http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/ and get some of this stuff. i do charity rides every year. this year will be number 14. teh monkeybutt aka swampa$$ aka ( other more colourfull names) sucks

[Blelidupgerie]

Yeah - I'll definitely need something like that!