Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Tried a different LBS...

A couple of sundays ago I ended up bending my granny ring while changing down too quickly (my fault entirely, I realised it was a mistake almost as soon as I hit the lever) as I was heading up a hill, and I ended up jamming my chain between ring and frame in 2 places. Ouch.

Last weekend after my best ride to date (a surprisingly comfortable 18.5 miles - I was aiming for 15 after my previous 13 miles) on the way home I noticed a slight wobble in the rear wheel - not noticeable while pedalling or on crappy roads, but I figured it was time to get things looked at, especially as my bike was overdue for a basic service...

I ended up going to a different LBS to the one I've used before based on the recommendation of some colleagues, and the shop I've used before always seemed to be in a hurry to sell you something then get you out the door. The new LBS is a bit more serious than the other bike shop I've used, and have the advantage of arranging regular events, night rides, and they offer extensive training workshops including a 3 day wheel building course which includes a set of wheels to take away, and a 2 or 5 day maintenance course which is also tempting...

I'm pleased to report I was very impressed. The guy I had a chat with when I took the bike in was very friendly, had a look at the granny ring and rear wheel and confirmed they'd be able to sort them and service my bike that day. Everything seems to be in order, and they didn't charge for the replacement granny ring because they'd not quite got the right size (I've now got a 24 tooth instead of 26 now which is fine by me...), so I think I'll be going back to them :)

On an unrelated note, this weekend was the first ride I had a pair of cycling gloves for, and I'm very happy with the difference they made so far. Not quite the same difference as the aerotech bib I bought a few weeks back, but another thing I never realised I needed until I actually used them on a long ride.

Anybody have any recommendations for other accessories you'd now consider essential? I'm thinking clipless pedals and a B17 might be worth a go. I have yet to convince my wife that spending 100 quid on new pedals, shoes and a saddle is a good idea... ;)

Getting purchase orders through household accounting can be tough.

If you have to choose between a Brooks and Pedal.Shoe combo, go with the Brooks. A Brooks, combined with your new bibs, will be absolute heaven.

You might try, "Honey, if I get all this stuff, I'll be able to ride longer... and will be out of your hair for longer periods of time!" ... might be a motivation for some wives. Haha. :P

Mrs. Zoxe and I both work and we keep separate checkbooks. Has probably saved us from having to see a therapist many times. :) However, I still try to time stuff just after she's acquired a major purchase. She "needed" a new laptop for "work." I got a new guitar out of the deal.

Seriously though, I tell her early and often when I'm thinking of a big purchase. Typically I'll be shopping for a big purchase for a month or three while I do my research. Then when the visa comes out, she's been expecting it.

Actually, when I went with clipless pedals and shoes, my average speed increased by over 1 mph overnight. I'm guessing that there is a lot of energy lost when your feet are slipping around on the pedals. Also, the Brooks saddle will be absolute torture until it's broken in. Then, of course it'll be wonderful.

Anybody have any recommendations for other accessories you'd now consider essential? I'm thinking clipless pedals and a B17 might be worth a go. I have yet to convince my wife that spending 100 quid on new pedals, shoes and a saddle is a good idea... ;)

I really like my B-17, but I'm not sure I'd recommend rushing out to get one. Brooks saddles seem to suit about half the riders that try them, and for some of 'em it can take quite a while to find the right model. And if you do not have a rear end meant for a Brooks, life is very unpleasant while you're trying one.

In the US, there are several stock bike models that have a B-17 as part of the build. Other countries may have something similar. If you can try the saddle out like that, I would. Otherwise, I'd buy from a retailer with a long trial period, so you can return it if it doesn't suit after a fair test.

(mine was comfortable almost instantly, but this is Not Normal or Expected... so if you are taking a flyer on one, it's a good idea to plan for the worst)

I spent the money on clipless and good shoes, but the fit of the shoes were not as good as I expected. Don't just buy shoes because you think the will fit later. They need to fit now, and try them on with cycling socks and not the normal thick white socks you work out with.

I finally bought Sidi Mega Mesh shoes and they are what fit my right foot and have made a big difference.

Does your junk go numb on your rides? If so and you've exhausted the saddle positioning options, get a new saddle. If you don't go numb and your not always thinking about how uncomfortable you are, go for the pedals and shoes. If you have wide feet, check out Sidi which makes wide shoes. Alternatively, check out cycling sandals and wear wool socks for when it gets cool.

Thanks for the advice. I've got a fizik saddle which I'm reasonably happy with at the moment, but we'll see over the next few weeks as I start to put on some more serious milage.

Annoyingly while out today (another 18 miles down) I had a spoke break just inside one of the nipples. I'll drop it back in at the LBS later in the week, but I'm after a bit more advice. Is it worth having them just replace the busted spoke and retrue the wheel, should I have them properly rebuild it, or should I give up and take this opportunity to get a new rear wheel built? Currently I've got about 350 miles on the stock Sun DS2 rim that came with my bike. The hubs seem ok, but only 32 holes. Any thoughts?

Annoyingly while out today (another 18 miles down) I had a spoke break just inside one of the nipples....

I had a chat with the wheelbuilder at the LBS and we had a closer look at the existing rim. There seems to be a couple of small fractures around some of the spoke eyelets, so that rim definitely seems hosed. Not great for the distance it's done, but it's given me an excuse to buy a decent rear wheel, much to the dismay of my wife...

After talking to the LBS guy he's recommended a DT Swiss TK7.1 touring rim, double butted spokes, and as I'm stepping up to 36 spokes, a new Shimano XT rear hub. He'll be handbuilding it and seems happy that it'll hold up to anything I can put it through, so I'm happy with that. Picking it up on friday morning.

At least the old wheel should be good for practising truing a wheel :)

A touring wheel might be overkill, but it's hard to bet against them. Afterall, they are designed for the specific pupropse of carrying more weight than the average wheel. Not to mention, the last thing a loaded tourer needs is to be spoked over in the middle of nowhere.

After talking to the LBS guy he's recommended a DT Swiss TK7.1 touring rim, double butted spokes, and as I'm stepping up to 36 spokes, a new Shimano XT rear hub.
Hi bcc, my Cannondale T2000 touring bike has the same rim only with a Shimano LX hub. You will not be disappoint with this wheel, it is pretty much bomb proof. When I tour my total weight is ME+BIKE+STUFF=320lbs and I have never after 5000km even had to touch the wheels. You really should consider putting on a new tire also, I use the Schwalbe Marathon 700x37 with a Kevlar belt. I have never heard of anyone say anything but good things about this tire. I think that you are on the right track with the new wheel, you want the peace of mind that a great wheel brings. You could even use that wheel on a new bike if you wanted, keep the old wheel to switch it with.
Happy cycling!

Hey bcc, how did you make out with your new wheel? Hope all is well and you are now cycling worry free.

Hey bcc, how did you make out with your new wheel? Hope all is well and you are now cycling worry free.

I picked it up Saturday afternoon, and it's been fine so far, although I've only put 30 miles on it since then. The LBS stuck a 700x37 Schwalbe Marathon Slick on there which seems to roll nicely enough - it's a bit better suited to some of the trails around here.