The Velotard Thread.

[Keef]

Your gear changes will be cable related,either need a new one or the tension isn't quite right,or at the very worst a slightly bent derailleur hanger.
You're going to tell me you've got electric shifting aren't you

 

[Tredman]

Your gear changes will be cable related,either need a new one or the tension isn't quite right,or at the very worst a slightly bent derailleur hanger.
You're going to tell me you've got electric shifting aren't you

I’ve done both! Changed the cable and watched millions of YouTube videos, but whatever I do I can’t get it reliably to move from 5 to 6, it usually (but not always) goes straight to 7.

 

[lemonjelly]

I had a new chain and back gears fixed just before the lockdown was implemented.
I have since been unable to change between the 3 gear wheels at the front, which is a pain, so might look to get this fixed.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I had a new chain and back gears fixed just before the lockdown was implemented.
I have since been unable to change between the 3 gear wheels at the front, which is a pain, so might look to get this fixed.

Just go single chain ring, it's the future!

 

[lemonjelly]

I have been for 6 months matey :icon_lol:

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I have been for 6 months matey :icon_lol:

Make it permanent, save some weight.

 

[SSB]

Just go single chain ring, it's the future!

I'm in the market for a new bike and a lot of the ones I like the look of have had a single chain ring, so I've discounted them (for no apparent reason it seems!) Are you telling me like garlic bread, it's the future?

 

[MARKakaJIM]

I'm in the market for a new bike and a lot of the ones I like the look of have had a single chain ring, so I've discounted them (for no apparent reason it seems!) Are you telling me like garlic bread, it's the future?

You'll lose a bit top and/or bottom of the range depending on what you opt for in terms of gearing but it won't have a massive impact across the middle because you invariably end up with a lot of near duplicate ratios when you've got multiple chain rings and you can get up to maybe 13 speeds now off a single chain ring now I think?

I imagine if you were really pushing it then you'd prefer to keep that extra bit of range and flexibility but for most casual cyclists it probably makes little difference as long as you set your spread of ratios to suit your ability, then it's saving a bit of weight from your bike and having something less to break/be maintained too.

 

[machin05]

I'm in the market for a new bike and a lot of the ones I like the look of have had a single chain ring, so I've discounted them (for no apparent reason it seems!) Are you telling me like garlic bread, it's the future?

Presumably, you're looking at mountain bikes? 2 chain ring still dominates the road bike market, although the gravel bike groupsets all offer 1x.

It's far simpler and you can get huge cassettes now with 12 cogs offering just as much range as multiple chainrings (you may lose a little top end speed, but that doesn't really matter on MTB and gravel) but there's no overlapping of ratios, fewer components to setup/maintain and simpler operation. There will be some marginal weight saving too.

I've gone 1x on my hybrid and one of my road bikes (mainly because my front shifter died twice in a year) and I love it.

 

[machin05]

Incidentally, my single chain ring road bike is loads quieter than my top end summer road bike since I changed it from 2x to 1x.

 

[machin05]

Nice summary here - https://www.evanscycles.com/buying-guides/1x-drivetrain

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Presumably, you're looking at mountain bikes? 2 chain ring still dominates the road bike market, although the gravel bike groupsets all offer 1x.

It's far simpler and you can get huge cassettes now with 12 cogs offering just as much range as multiple chainrings (you may lose a little top end speed, but that doesn't really matter on MTB and gravel) but there's no overlapping of ratios, fewer components to setup/maintain and simpler operation. There will be some marginal weight saving too.

I've gone 1x on my hybrid and one of my road bikes (mainly because my front shifter died twice in a year) and I love it.

I was expecting a backlash from you on the 1x love in as a devout road cyclist!

 

[machin05]

I was expecting a backlash from you on the 1x love in as a devout road cyclist!

Ha! No, I'm all for innovation. I still don't think it quite works for pure road cycling yet as you'll be spinning out at the top end. For commuting and slower/off road stuff it's perfect.

SRAM have developed 12 speed for road now and I think they go down to a 10T cog on the rear cassette which opens the door a little further from road use perspective.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Ha! No, I'm all for innovation. I still don't think it quite works for pure road cycling yet as you'll be spinning out at the top end. For commuting and slower/off road stuff it's perfect.

SRAM have developed 12 speed for road now and I think they go down to a 10T cog on the rear cassette which opens the door a little further from road use perspective.

The drawbacks of it are definitely less magnified with MTB, generally your higher speed stuff is thanks to gravity rather than pedalling so spinning out is rarely a issue as you're stood on the pedals trying to save your backside most of that time rather than actually pedalling. Plus for someone like me who's still desperately short of cycling fitness I'm rarely hitting the top gears anyway and spending a lot more time limping my way up nobbly hills in low gears.

As you say though ranges are expanding with 1x so there won't be as much of a downside before long, a lot of people would be able to cover what they actually need with current stuff that's on the market.

 

[machin05]

I've worked out that when I upgrade my commuter for proper road use in the winter, I can get pretty much all the gearing I need from the 44T up front and a new 11-40 cassette on the back. It gives me the same climbing gear ratio as the 34:30 on my summer bike (albeit with some of the jumps between gears being comparatively big). At the other end of the range, going from 50:11 to 44:11 will cost me top end speed, but I'm not the quickest descender so will probably be happy spinning out at 35mph.

If Shimano released 10-40 cassette, my 44t single would pretty much cover the same range as my 50/34t 11-32t double setup.

 

[SSB]

Presumably, you're looking at mountain bikes? 2 chain ring still dominates the road bike market, although the gravel bike groupsets all offer 1x.

Either a Mountain Bike or Hybrid for pottering about on. Just waiting for work to sort out their cycle to work scheme.

Incidentally I was initially looking at the Evans website after having poor service from Halfords in the past.

 

[Tredman]

Evans owned by Sports Direct now. There are some terrible stories about them online post buy out.

 

[Keef]

Yea they get rated about the same as halfords online,and halfords are abysmal,both of them are advertising for bike builders and or mechanics start asap ,I'm fully qualified as a bike mechanic,halfords said I don't fit their target demographic and my qualifications aren't suitable,even though they're better than they require,and in a couple of interviews the interviewer said that,Evans haven't been bothered replying,wouldn't want to work for Ashley anyway tbh

 

[SSB]

Evans owned by Sports Direct now. There are some terrible stories about them online post buy out.

Ah wasn't aware of that. They do have a good selection of bikes online, although I'd visited a shop first before buying.

 

[lemonjelly]

work colleague ordered a bike from evans through works cycle scheme during lockdown and received it in 2 weeks. apparently everything went smoothly for her.